Naruto's Journey to Hokage
by CannonBaller9Pin
Summary: A month after rescuing Gaara, Naruto is told to undergo a week of intense training with Sakura under Kakashi sensei. From there on, his story picks onwards towards his path to being Hokage. First story, so don't expect greatness. NaruIno. First few chapters are rough at best, but don't judge from there itself.
1. Chapter 1: Introducing the Knucklehead

**Chapter 1: Introducing the Knucklehead**

"… and then I managed to summon Lord Fukasaku instead of the chief!" Naruto said. Sakura looked at the knucklehead knowingly. "What did you do then?", she asked him, knowing that he would tell her anyway.

"I was amazed to see such a small toad appear after the amount of chakra I burnt to perform the Summoning. But the Pervy Sage told me that Lord Fukasaku was an elder and even he was amazed that I had managed to summon him. He even asked the old frog afterwards why he even answered the summons, and the frog told him that he had felt that nobody apart from Jiraiya had summoned him before. He was surprised and so he decided to show up to see who had summoned him." Naruto grinned sheepishly, while Sakura looked at him, still amazed by the ability of Naruto to do the impossible. She said, "I meant, what you did about the fight, baka!"

"Oh yeah! Well, at first I thought that this Summoning hadn't worked out, the old geezer frog had a lot of power for his age. He told us to distract the wolves for a minute while he meditated and when he was done, he casually picked up the wolves as though they were small cats. And he threw them so far away that even I couldn't sense their smell anymore. Needless to say, they never came back to that area again. But then when I realized that the frog was an Elder, it seemed kinda obvious for him to have such strength, didn't it?" Sakura nodded.

It had been just over a month since they had rescued Gaara from the Akatsuki. Well, more like brought back from the dead, considering what had transpired and Lady Chiyo's sacrifice. They had been waiting at the gates of the village for Kakashi sensei, who as usual was keeping up his reputation of being tardy. However, this time Naruto and Sakura had not minded as much as they would normally have, having a lot to talk about in the years of absence of Naruto from the village.

"Yo!" Kakashi said as he shunshined in front of his two students. All thoughts vanished from the minds of the two as they dramatically pointed at him in practiced synchronization and bawled out, "YOU'RE LATE AGAIN!"

"Well, a black cat crossed my path and…" Kakashi began and then barely ducked as two kunai were flung straight at where his head had been a second ago.

"Don't you give us that lame crap again sensei, we don't fall for it anymore. Were you at the Memorial Stone again?" Naruto queried. Kakashi rubbed his head, sheepishly nodding, and said, "Well… yeah I was…" before trailing off. But then he gave them his famous eye smile, "I have some news for you guys. The Hokage has given us a week off for some intense training!"

Sakura's expression remained neutral while Naruto jumped with ecstatic joy, all his anger forgotten. "All right, sensei! That's just what I needed right now!" Naruto shouted.

"I don't mean any offense Kakashi sensei, but can I know why we suddenly were given a week off for training? I can't quite get my head around it." Sakura asked, still carefully neutral. Kakashi nodded knowingly, and said, "I knew you might ask. I asked Lady Tsunade the exact same question. But her answer made me realize how right she was."

"Well?" Sakura asked while Inner Sakura groused, "OUT WITH IT ALREADY!"

Kakashi looked at the two of them seriously, "The Hokage believes that we need to get in some serious training, not only because it has been a long time since we have worked together, but also because she believes that the two of you must really work on your teamwork. 3 years ago, Sakura had only just begun training in medical jutsu and didn't serve much of a team partner in combat. We were the ones who did the fighting while she hung back, waiting to heal us or to protect any client."

"But things have changed now," he continued, "Sakura has become a full-fledged Kunoichi now, able to take hits and punish others as well. Her raw strength, coupled with your stupidly ridiculous endurance, Naruto, will be more than enough to take out huge amounts of enemies in a fight. So the Hokage decided to give us this week off to learn new strategies, new combinations of attacks, and of course, new jutsu as well."

Sakura nodded, knowing that 3 years ago, she probably would be worrying more about her hair getting spoilt rather than taking her training seriously. She wondered how much stronger Naruto must have gotten in the past 3 years. She could see the lean figure he cut now, because of his uniform being a little tighter than the old orange jumpsuit. She wondered how much time he had spent training, though, considering that he was trained by the biggest pervert in the world.

"Well then, that being said, if you guys are up for it now, I'll show you the place where we shall be training," Kakashi said, to which both of them nodded.

The three of them stopped at a small clearing around 10 miles outside the village. It was a small plain ground, surrounded by fruit trees on all sides, with a small stream flowing down at one side. Kakashi looked around, and said, "I was partly responsible for creating this place." Sakura looked at him so fast that she cricked her neck. She put it back in place with a snap, still looking at him incredulously. "How, sensei?" she inquired.

"When I was in the ANBU, my team was sent here to ward off some Stone ninja, who were trying to infiltrate the Leaf. Needless to say, the battle was quite fierce, and of course, the Stone ninjas don't give a damn about trees. I was quite famous back then for my Sharingan, and copied one of their techniques and used it before them. I didn't even know what it was going to do but I was young and foolish and consumed by darkness…"

Sakura allowed him 30 seconds of reminiscence before loudly clearing her throat. Kakashi looked mildly embarrassed and continued, "Anyway, the entire area was covered with a thick barrier of hot stone which burnt all the trees it hit and also killed all the Stone ninjas, except for one. After a while the jutsu stopped and the stone automatically disappeared, leaving me to wonder whether it was a space time manipulation, or something of the sort."

"The only Stone ninja who survived had his leg burned so badly, it was later amputated to save him. He later told us that he was part of a group of ninjas who were exiled from the Stone village. They had tried to infiltrate the Leaf so that they could steal vital information in order to buy their way back into the Stone village. He was given a chance to live as a normal civilian in the Leaf village and jumped at the chance. He is Iguromo, the man who runs the largest ninja supplies shop in the village. We learnt from him that his crafting skills are extremely well refined and gave him a chance to prove his loyalty. And it seemed to work out well."

"Anyway," he said, "Enough talking about the past. I found out that despite the circumstances around the creation of this plain, it is an extremely convenient place to train, being far enough from the village not to be disturbed, but close enough should we have to return in an emergency. So I thought we would rough it out here for a week rather than risking suspension for destroying any training grounds, considering the strength that both of you have, combined." Naruto and Sakura smirked at him.

"Well, what are we waiting for Kakashi sensei? What do we start with?" Naruto said, before he noticed the 'You're a retard.' expressions on both Kakashi and Sakura's faces. "What?" he asked defensively.

"I don't know if you're ready to sleep on the ground Naruto, but I sure as hell am not," Sakura replied. "We'll need to get our tents, sleeping bags and other supplies as well. Right, sensei?"

"Absolutely." came the reply.

"Well, couldn't you just say so?" Naruto grumbled.

"We'll meet here tomorrow at around 8AM, and be sure to bring in some weapons, we can practice those throughout the week too." Kakashi said.

"Alright, sensei!" both his students said.

"See you tomorrow, then!" said Kakashi and vanished from their view.

Sakura and Naruto took to the trees, discussing what types of training they might undergo under their sensei. As they reached the main gates of the village, the bumped into Ino, Shikamaru and Choji. "Hey Naruto and Sakura!" Choji and Ino said, while Shikamaru lazily nodded at them in a most, 'Whatever these guys said' expression.

"Hey, you guys! Heading out for a mission, are ya?" Naruto smiled.

"Yup, you got it! B-rank mission of some sort. We don't exactly know any details because this mission is on a need to know basis only, but the Ino-Shika-Cho formation was specially requested. So we're off to the edge of the Land of Fire," Choji said, while biting into a potato chip as he spoke.

"Alright, well good luck, guys!" Naruto said boisterously, as they nodded to the duo and then took off to the trees. Naruto couldn't help but notice the curves and slender legs of Ino, what with his training with the Pervy Sage, and his own peeping habits. He suddenly felt a killing intent unleashed at him, and turned around to see Sakura staring at him, cracking her knuckles as though she would like nothing better than to beat the stuffing out of him.

"What do you think you were doing right now, staring at Ino's backside like that, NARUTO?" she yelled. Naruto quickly replied, "I wasn't. I was just wondering what kind of mission they could have which was on a need to know basis only."

She looked at him again, not entirely convinced, but accepted his explanation anyway. Naruto heaved a sigh of relief and praised himself for his improved ability to lie so smoothly. Just then Raido, who was at the village entrance, keeping a watch, got a call. The two of them hung back, listening in. It was fortunate that they did, because Raido said, "It was Lady Tsunade. She wants to see the two of you."

"Anything urgent?" Sakura asked, with a hint of worry lacing her voice. He replied, "Didn't sound that way, though I can't be a 100% sure," He frowned, "Either way, you better get going right away, keeping the Hokage waiting is never good for one's health, you know?"

Naruto blanched.

**Author's Note: **Hey, what's up guys, I wanted to tell you something. Yes, I have taken parts of my story from other stories, and I've already obtained permissions from all of them. So, if you feel that I'm stealing stuff, I'm not. I wasn't going to post this, but one guy opened my eyes and told me that I could get banned if someone reported me, so I had to post it. Thanks to BlueGlass54 for pointing it to me. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I'll talk to you guys later. Oh yeah, Happy Reading!


	2. Chapter 2: Weakest Ninja?

**Chapter 2: Weakest Ninja?**

As they reached Ninja Ops, the duo saw the Hokage looking out of the glass window. She nodded to them and they shunshined straight into her office. She turned towards them and said, "As you may know, I have given the two of you a week off for some intense training along with Kakashi." Both of them nodded, wondering what the Sannin had in mind.

"I wanted to talk about your skills a little bit." Sakura notices that the statement seemed to be directed more towards Naruto than towards her. Naruto, of course, remained blissfully obvious of the situation. The Hokage continued, "Naruto, you have a keen sense of combat and tactics while in the field. You have also displayed intelligence and creativity which many in the village would not have deemed possible from a knucklehead like you." Naruto turned to smirk at Sakura, who groaned. Then the smirk was wiped off his face as the Hokage said, "However, on paper, you are the weakest ninja in the Konohagakure."

He looked at her in incredulous amazement, as did Sakura. Tsunade took her turn to smirk at him while he struggled to find words. Sakura fell into thought, thinking that if he was the weakest ninja in the village, then what it meant for the rest of them.

"But… But…" he continued struggling until Tsunade put her hand up to silence him. She continued, "Of course, these records have not been updated for the past three years since you went for the training trip outside the village. Which is another reason why I wanted you training this week. I saw the skills that you showed during the bell test against Kakashi a month ago, but I want to judge all your skills properly. That is why, after the end of the week, I am going to personally spar with you, to record your skills as they are now."

Sakura gasped involuntarily. For the Hokage to personally spar with a Genin of the village was practically unheard of, even if the Genin just happened to be the biggest knucklehead of the village. She asked nervously, "Milady, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I am quite sure, Sakura. Now, I will not only fight Naruto alone in an all-out battle, but I am also going to take a TaiJutsu test against the two of you after the training week is over. In this two-on-one match, only hand-to-hand combat will be allowed. That will give me an estimate of how good your teamwork is. The solo match with Naruto will take place after this one, so that the knucklehead can consider it as a warm up." She grinned mischievously, "Which brings me back to your on paper skills, Naruto."

Naruto paled, and began to speak, but she again stopped him and said, "You need to know if you want to improve your chances of being Hokage in the future. As it stands, most of your unarmed combat skills are ranked between C and E, while your weapons and GenJutsu skills are practically non-existent. You only have two A-ranked techniques, the Rasengan and the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Your Summoning technique, while impressive, is not uncommon and holds a C-rank along with your… ahem, Sexy Jutsu. Now, we do not have much of an idea regarding the kind of training you received from Jiraiya, but I'm pretty sure he avoided GenJutsu and weapons."

Naruto nodded slightly, saying, "Pervy Sage only taught me the basics of GenJutsu, mainly how to tell if you are trapped in one, and how to break out of one. And like you said, he totally avoided weapons. But it actually compensated for my unarmed training skills, by improving my TaiJutsu considerably. I reckon I could take Rock Lee on easily now." He said and then realized how that sounded, adding hastily, "I said that because the old pervert thinks that I could probably take on Gai sensei in an even TaiJutsu match and beat him 45% of the time."

Sakura looked at him numbly. Had Naruto really advanced that much in this time? Tsunade looks at his honest face and decided that he wasn't exaggerating. However, she decided that she would confirm it with Jiraiya soon. "Very well," she said, "Let's proceed towards Sakura's report." Sakura nodded, knowing most of the records already.

"As you know, even I have not focused on weapons skills a lot, a simple reason being, that in our time, weapons were considered a soft choice, because we were constantly at war with other villages and NinJutsu and TaiJutsu was the main focus during that time. This is the reason why neither of us taught you almost any weapons. And although I have learned a weapon and passed its skills on to you, I would be pleased if you took the help of a master in that weapon and asked him or her to train you."

Sakura nodded, knowing that this would be the reaction of her teacher, and Naruto asked her, "Which weapon have you learned, Sakura?" She replied, "The battle axe." He nodded, realizing that with her immense strength inherited from the Hokage, she would be able to wield a battle axe quite easily. He considered the amount of damage she could do in a single swipe of the battle axe and understood how dangerous that weapon would be with the wielder as strong as Sakura.

Then the Hokage continued, "However, because of our heavy focus on TaiJutsu as well, I have left out GenJutsu as well, although Sakura is not oblivious to GenJutsu unlike some others standing in this room." She paused to smirk at Naruto and then said, "However, I would like you and Naruto both to work with a GenJutsu expert to increase your skills in that regard. Sakura, your unarmed combat skills are mostly ranked between B and S, which is very impressive for a Chunin. So I expect you to work on weapons, GenJutsu and NinJutsu more, because you are sorely lacking in the latter as well."

Sakura nodded, and Naruto asked Lady Tsunade, "Is there anyone in particular who can teach me any weapons? Other than Tenten?" The Hokage frowned, knowing Tenten's mastery in weapons and wondering why Naruto didn't want to learn from her. But she didn't let it show and said, "You can ask Iruka to teach you a few weapons. He recently made Jonin after you left the village and I'm sure he can teach you well, considering he was the only one who made an effort to teach you anyway." Naruto nodded, and Tsunade said, "Now go, and do some intense training to get back in shape as Team 7!"

"Hai!" Both of them saluted her and shunshined back out of the office. On their way out of Ninja Ops, they ran into Shizune. Sakura immediately took the opportunity to ask her to teach them GenJutsu. Shizune was happy to oblige and told them that she could take GenJutsu lessons for them every weekend. They went towards the academy happily. Naruto met Iruka sensei at the academy and Iruka was only happy to pass on his weapons skills to his favorite students. He took Naruto and Sakura to Ichiraku's for some ramen, and then asked them why they suddenly had an itching to learn weapons. Naruto told them of their situation on paper, and Iruka nodded, saying, "Well, unlike the Chunin exams, which you can pass by fluke or by using your team-mates, the Jonin exams are a trial of the five pillars of the Ninja Arts. So unless you pass in all of them, you cannot become a full Jonin. So I will be happy to teach you all that I know."

"Which weapons do you know, Iruka sensei?" Sakura asked.

"I have learned the xiphos, short sword, the manriki-gusari (weighted chain), the pole staff, longsword, light throwing blades, tonfas and the staff blade, which is my primary weapon."

Sakura frowned, and asked, "The staff blade, Sensei? But that is just a training weapon and not usually used in real fights." Iruka nodded, taking a bite of noodles, and then said, "Do you know the way the staff blade works, Sakura?"

She nodded, saying, "The staff blade incorporates attacks from any other weapon and makes it easier to practice different weapon styles at the same time with one weapon itself." Iruka nodded again, saying, "Not only that, but the staff blade can be used in any way that all of the rest of my weapons can be used. Except the light throwing blades and manriki-gusari, of course. So do you see the pattern here?"

Naruto spoke, "Since you have mastered all those weapons and the staff blade, you need only carry the staff blade with you and incorporate all the attacks from your other weapons into it." Both Iruka and Sakura looked as shocked as they felt. They hadn't expected Naruto to come up with an explanation with words that he couldn't even spell. They wondered if there was more to Naruto than he was letting them on.

Naruto continued, "Iruka sensei, can you teach me the staff blade? I have had a longing to learn it for a while now, but I never found a teacher before." Iruka said, "Of course, I will. And what about you, Sakura?" She thought about it and then said, "I think I should go for the manriki-gusari and the pole staff. Both are slightly long range weapons, and the manriki-gusari will allow me to use my strength, while the pole staff will help keep enemies at bay." Iruka smiled at her thoughtfulness and said, "Ok then, barring any missions you guys might have, we shall begin training every afternoon at 4."

Naruto said, "Sensei, we won't begin training until next week. Grandma Tsunade has given us the week of to get in some teamwork training done with Kakashi sensei, so we won't be available to train with you till next week." Iruka looked at the two of them and thought, "Of course. Naruto has not been here in three years, and Sakura has turned out to be an excellent Kunoichi as well. They will have to work on new strategies before they can head out for co-op missions." He smiled and said, "Not a problem, Naruto. It's not like I'm going anywhere."

"Okay then, see you later, Sensei!" they both said as they exited Ichiraku's. He smiled and continued eating silently.

"Ok Sakura, looks like we have some teachers to learn GenJutsu and weapons from now on. Well, I'll see you tomorrow for the training with Kakashi sensei." Naruto said. Then he added, "Make sure you reach by 10am." Sakura frowned and said, "But I thought Kakashi sensei said 8…" she trailed off realizing who she was talking about, and what Naruto had said and smiled mischievously. "You got it, Naruto."

They headed home and split up when they had to take separate paths. The two of them thought only one thing as they reached home, 'Why did Kakashi sensei and Tsunade keep saying 'intense' training?''


	3. Chapter 3: The Training Begins

**Chapter 3: The Training Begins**

'Hey, good morning, Kakashi sensei!' Naruto wished his tardy teacher as he and Sakura jumped to the trees alongside him. 'Naruto?' Kakashi looked at him, 'I thought I said 8AM to you guys.'

'Of course, when you say 8AM, you mean 10AM, sensei,' Naruto said lightly, causing Kakashi to smile sheepishly. 'I guess you're right,' he said as they continued along to their destination. They didn't speak for a while, then Naruto asked, 'So what kind of training are gonna do, sensei?'

'You'll see soon enough Naruto. It's twice the type of training I did back in the day.' Kakashi replied, with just a hint of darkness in his voice. Naruto and Sakura shuddered involuntarily. They reached the plain where they were to train and set down their gear. They noticed that Naruto had only one small bag with him, which could definitely not have contained his tent within it. Sakura started getting annoyed and asked him, 'Where is your tent bag, baka?'

Naruto just smirked at her, and pointed to his belt, 'Ever heard of storage scrolls, Sakura?'

'Of course I have, what a stupid….' She trailed off as she saw him focus his chakra into one of the scrolls he had just taken off his belt and saw a tent appear. She frowned, thinking, 'It's not uncommon to use storage scrolls for small things such as weapons, but to keep a tent or other bigger objects in scrolls requires a higher skill level of FuinJutsu. I keep my battle axe in my scroll. But I never would have thought that Naruto knew FuinJutsu. I wonder how many surprises he is gonna show us now that he's back.'

If Kakashi was surprised, he hid it well, saying, 'Not a bad idea to use FuinJutsu to keep a tent in it. Can you show me the hand-signs and the kanji so that I can also use it next time?' Naruto smiled and said, 'Sure thing sensei, but how will you create…..' he trailed off as Kakashi gave him an eye smile and uncovered his headband. 'I see,' Naruto said, and started the hand-signs. He signed Ushi, Uma, Tori, Hitsuji, Ne, Tatsu, Mi, and Kakashi quickly recorded the technique. Then Naruto opened the scroll from which he had summoned the tent and showed Kakashi the kanji. After Kakashi had recorded that as well, he created a FuinJutsu scroll immediately and was surprised that it took almost no chakra from his reserves to store the tent in there. He looked at Naruto again with a little more respect than usual.

'Where did you learn this technique from, Naruto? I don't think Master Jiraiya was particularly fond of FuinJutsu,' he said. Naruto smiled widely and said, 'That's a long story Kakashi sensei, maybe another time.'

Kakashi nodded, understanding that Naruto did not wish to share the knowledge at the time so he did not press further. 'Alright, ladies and knuckleheads, today we are going to be working on the first pillar of the Ninja Arts. Namely, TaiJutsu. As we know already, TaiJutsu is the use of hand-to-hand combat, mostly without chakra but, in some cases, using chakra to boost one's strength to an almost inhuman level,' he said, slightly inclining his head towards Sakura, who just smiled sweetly at him, causing him to shudder.

'TaiJutsu has hundreds of forms and methods, but most shinobi prefer to learn a handful and refine them rather than try to learn dozens which they can barely use. As of now, the Leaf Village is the second strongest hidden village when it comes to unarmed fighting. The strongest, of course, is the Stone Village due to their solid builds and the ability to take a hit properly, without flinching. However, every form of TaiJutsu is susceptible to something or the other. The ability to refine the form to an extent that no one can break through, that is the mark of a true master.'

'For example, there are very few people who can break through the Gentle Fist by their strength alone. A live example, of course, stands in front of us.' Kakashi said, reminding them of their first Chunin exams. Naruto smiled slightly; he had met Neji briefly the previous day and was amazed by the way Neji greeted him, almost as friendly as Shikamaru, or even Choji were towards him.

Kakashi continued, 'I will tell you all the forms I know which are used in the Leaf village as well as some that we do not use but which I have copied from other villages. They include the Hard Fist, Twelve Kicks of Fury, Gentle Fist, Dragon Style, Unbreakable Willow, Tiger Style, Snake Fist, Eagle's Claw and many others, which form the base for the other TaiJutsu forms which evolve past the basic forms by combining two or more of the arts. For example, a person using the Unbreakable Willow along with the Tiger Style will be undoubtedly difficult to defeat in unarmed combat alone.'

'However, it takes months to develop a fighting style that is unique to the person creating it. Therefore, if you wish to develop such a unique style, you will have to find the balance on your own. Although I will always be there to guide you, of course.'

Sakura nodded, and said, 'Lady Tsunade mixed the Tiger Style and the Hard Fist for a TaiJutsu form she calls the Steel Tiger. She has just recently started to teach it to me, and it is quite difficult from the regular Tiger Style which I have learnt a couple of years ago.'

Kakashi agreed and said, 'Alright, I was thinking we could start at the basics, working more on simple punches, jabs, and counters. That way we can see how both of you do. Both of you will fight each other. No chakra boosting your muscles, you don't want to hurt each other. Simply TaiJutsu, nothing more.'

Both of them agreed. 'Begin,' he said, and they shot off towards each other even before he finished his second syllable. Sakura reached Naruto and threw a right punch to his left lung while getting in a jab to his right thigh from her left hand. Naruto slid to the right to avoid her punch. Her jab was quite weak due to her right handed fighting style. Naruto blushed as her left hand touched close to his privates as he had slid to his right instead of left. She blushed furiously too, but pressed the attack even as she twirled around to avoid his left uppercut and land a blow of her own on his left shoulder. Even though she was not boosting her chakra, Naruto felt a slight crack in his left shoulder before the bone started healing automatically.

'Dammit Sakura, how did you do that? Are you that much stronger now?' thought Naruto as he slid between her hands to land a light offhand punch on her chest, blushing again as he did so. She slid a few feet back from the pressure on the punch and wondered how much of his strength he had put into that punch. She charged back into the fight and threw twin punches to his face and stomach. Naruto dropped in a perfect split and threw his hands in front of him, blocking her next punch while cartwheeling backwards from the force at the same time.

As he jumped back into battle, he aimed a feinted jab at her eyes and threw in a punch to her stomach. She was able to see the feint coming and knocked aside his punch with her right hand while aiming an upper punch towards his right hand, which had gone for the feinted jab. He pulled his hand back to the left at the last moment and caught her hand with his own, pulling her towards him while aiming his left hand towards her heart. She jumped straight up into the air, using his right hand as leverage, and landed behind him, scoring a light punch to the back of his head.

Stars exploded in front of Naruto's eyes as he reeled forward and fell a couple of meters away from where she had hit him. He got up slowly, rubbing his head, and said, 'You do realize that I'm not your enemy, right?' She scratched her head sheepishly, 'I didn't expect that punch to be so hard.'

'Then maybe I need to stop holding back,' Naruto said. She looked at him, amazed and thought, 'He was holding back all this time? Just how strong is Naruto?' Her unasked question was answered when his next punch came thrice as fast and she barely blocked it by crossing her hands in front of her chest. She felt the bone in her right arm crack from the pressure and gaped at Naruto, who was now dancing around her like a professional boxer on his toes.

'Okay, that's it for now,' said Kakashi. He had been observing the fight with his Sharingan and had seen that while Naruto had mostly been using the preferred fighting method of Master Jiraiya, he had been mixing in the Tiger Style and Iron Monk forms as well. He wondered where Naruto had picked up the Iron Monk form, because he had only ever seen one person use it and that person was Naruto's mother.

'No sense in wondering about it right now, I'll ask Master Jiraiya about it later,' he thought as he called them over. Sakura began healing her right arm, still worried that he could crack her arm just by a single punch. Naruto walked over, flexing his shoulder to exercise his recently cracked bone. Kakashi wondered whether he could nominate his team for the International TaiJutsu Tournament, with these two cracking each other's bones in light training. He said, 'That was a good start. I can see that you two perform the styles of Master Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade very well. Naruto, were you using the Iron Monk form there?'

'Yes sensei, but before you ask, it's a long story connected to the thing we spoke about earlier,' Naruto replied carefully. He added, 'Even the Pervy Sage has promised not to tell anyone until I am ready to reveal it so there is no use asking him.'

Kakashi nodded and then started telling them a few tricks he had picked up during his time in the ANBU. The two of them started listening appreciatively, and Kakashi made them work in sets of each style. They went on for the rest of the day, until both of them were sore. Kakashi said, 'Tomorrow, we can start with the real training.' Both Naruto and Sakura blanched.


	4. Chapter 4: The Power of the Kyuubi

**Chapter 4: The Power of the Kyuubi**

The last three days had been very hard on both Naruto and Sakura. Kakashi had made them work so hard that for the first time in his life, Naruto had not recovered from his previous day's injuries. This was the result of the chakra weights that Kakashi had brought from Iguromo. Iguromo made only three to four sets of chakra weights every year, so he had saved one set of each for a rainy day. Kakashi only needed to ask and he got them in an instant. The chakra weights were divided into three categories, that is, blue, yellow and red.

Kakashi explained how the weights work. "The blue weights weigh 25 pounds each, the yellow weigh 50 pounds, and the red weigh 100 pounds each. By channeling one's chakra into the weights, one can reduce the weights by a factor of 5. So one red weight will measure 20 pounds if it is being fed chakra. But these are greedy things, and will take as much chakra as you can provide. So if you do not have enough chakra control over your body, you will feel the full weight of the chakra weights."

Sakura fell backwards onto the ground and started to heal her injuries with whatever little chakra she had left. Naruto was still standing, if only barely. Sakura looked up at him and gaped at how he was still holding up after the punishment they had just gone through. Each of them was wearing 5 red chakra weights on each leg and 5 yellow and 2 red chakra weights on each of their hands. After having their chakra expended, the students had felt the full weight of the chakra weights on their limbs and had not been able to cope up. Kakashi had seen a glimpse of red entering into Naruto's eyes and had enabled his Sharingan to see if he could spot anything. But the moment he uncovered his Sharingan, the warrior stopped seeing the red glimpse and decided that he had just imagined it.

"How are you doing it?" Sakura asked Naruto that evening. Their teacher had gone to collect some dinner from the village since the two were too exhausted to do anything else. "Doing what?" Naruto asked her, totally confused. Sakura presses, "How are you managing to stand at the end of the day with those weights on? If I put it bluntly, I'm just as strong as you. What are you doing differently?" Naruto looked at her surprised. "I don't really know, Sakura. I just seem to have more stamina, I guess."

Sakura sighed. Of course, the knucklehead never knew when to give up. That had to be part of the reason at least. Kakashi sensei had removed their weights for them because they could not even move their muscles. As they debated what to do next, Kakashi appeared next to them, along with Shizune and Ino. The duo looked at the newcomers, surprised to see them, and looked up questioningly at Kakashi sensei. He answered their expressions, "I went too hard on you guys today. I'm sorry about that. I can't have you falter in the middle of your training. So, I brought Shizune here to check your injuries and heal you. I met Ino on the way and she decided to help as well."

Shizune looked at both of them and determined that Sakura needed most of the help because the knucklehead was already regenerating his wounds. She told Ino to help him with the process while she tended to Sakura. Ino looked at Naruto who had removed his jacket and tank top, sitting bare-chested outside his tent, and felt a slight blush, looking at his ripped figure. He had been scrawny when she last saw him. She went over to his tent and told him to lie down inside so that she could heal his wounds properly. As the two of them started working on the students' wounds, Kakashi slid up to Naruto's tent and said, "I wanted to talk to you Naruto."

"Yeah, Ka…Kakashi sen…sei?" Naruto faltered.

"I'm sorry to bring it up right now, but it has to be in private. If you could step out for a minute, Ino?" he said. Ino nodded, saying, "Just give me a second to close this cut up and I'll be gone. He's mostly healed up anyway." Kakashi nodded. After Ino had left the tent, Kakashi signed Inu, Tatsu, Tori, Hitsuji, Ushi, and said, "Air Vacuum Jutsu." Looking at Naruto's confused face, he said, "I have to make sure this does not leave the tent." Naruto nodded. "Naruto, have you been using the Kyuubi's chakra today?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto frowned. He had not been aware of reaching into that source of power. He looked back up at Kakashi sensei, totally confused and lost. Kakashi sensei realized that he did not have any idea about whether he had been using the Kyuubi's chakra and so he did not press the matter. However, he told Naruto, "I'm gonna be using one weight less for you on each limb, because I do not want to have anything to do with the Kyuubi on this trip."

"I understand, sen…sei," Naruto said, exhaustion taking over him. Kakashi released his jutsu and turned to leave when a sudden gust of wind behind him compelled him to turn around. His uncovered eye went wide as he saw Naruto standing in front of him, three red chakra tails lashing out behind him, his red slitted eyes glowing maniacally and a Wind Rasengan glowing in his hand. The Kyuubi crooned, "**The boy understands, Kakashi. But you were too late. He is mine.**"

Kakashi dived out of the tent just in time to avoid a chakra tail of the Kyuubi from catching him. He looked back up at the demon and had only one thought in his mind. "Oh shit."

"Everyone get back!" Kakashi warned the women who were regarding the situation with varying degrees of wariness and fright. Ino was not sure what she was seeing and Sakura and Shizune were practically riddled with fear. Then it suddenly clicked in Ino's mind and she looked back at Naruto with fear and worry in her eyes. "Naruto…" she said softly. The demon fox looked at her with a wicked smile in his eyes, and said, "**The boy is not available to answer your call right now. But you can leave a message.**"

With that being said, the Kyuubi dashed towards the women with the Wind Rasengan becoming dangerously bigger with every step. Shizune tried to get in between the Kyuubi and the students, who were paralyzed with fear. But the Kyuubi suddenly stopped. He looked down at his left foot, with a bewildered look on his face. But suddenly, the left half of Naruto's face became clear and he roared, "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, KYUUBI!"

The others looked at the now clear part of Naruto, totally amazed at his ability to repel the Kyuubi on his own. Kakashi stared at the evolving form and wondered, "How did he do it? How can Naruto be so strong despite being almost unconscious a few moments ago?" Then he remembered the chakra tags that Master Jiraiya had given him. The old pervert had said that they would drag out the chakra out of the boy, should he ever be influenced by the Kyuubi. But he had also said that the tags would only work up to the two tails mode. But Kakashi decided to risk it, seeing that Naruto had already taken control over half his body.

Meanwhile in the psyche of the seal, Kyuubi was having a hard time digesting the fact that Naruto was able to force partial control over his influence. He wondered whether there was more to Naruto than he had thought. He said, "**Do you really think that you can stop me in this state of yours? You were hardly able to stand some time ago.**" Naruto grinned smugly, causing the Kyuubi to become even more frustrated. "**What are you grinning at like that for, boy?**" Naruto's smile became much wider and suddenly the Kyuubi's mind realized what had happened. Even when Naruto had been in one or two tails mode, his body had regenerated to a point where it was almost impossible to cut him and expect it to bleed. The Kyuubi had been sending all the chakra possible outside its psyche, to take control of the boy, and in that haste, he had also healed the boy instantly, regenerating not only his body, but also his chakra supply. Naruto grinned as the Kyuubi mulled over things as they were at the moment; He thought, "**I could kill one or maybe two of the weaklings outside before Naruto takes back the control, or I could** **try to force Naruto back somehow and then possess his body again….. No, that won't work. The boy's will is too strong. Then what can I do** to…"

But the beast had wasted too much time thinking. Faster than anyone could see, Kakashi substituted himself for the small log of wood in front of Naruto and slapped two of his chakra tags to Naruto/Kyuubi's forehead. "**NO!**" the demon cried out as he felt his energy being drawn away from the him and tried to take Naruto's body back into his control, but it was a losing battle. Naruto wrested control away from the Kyuubi and for good measure, sent a Rasenshuriken in his psyche through the seal to the Kyuubi. It was enough to distract the orange fox for a second, enough for Naruto to take total control into his own hands.

Naruto shuddered as he sat slowly onto the ground, not knowing that he was still bare-chested. Kakashi darted into his tent and got his jacket out for him. Naruto slipped it on thankfully and asked, "What just happened, Kakashi sensei? Why did the Nine Tails come out?" Ino gasped, her suspicions confirmed. Kakashi looked at her and it was the graveness of the situation that kept her from pointing at Naruto and demanding an explanation. She looked at Kakashi sensei and nodded.

All of them sat together, Shizune still healing some minor wounds on Sakura's biceps. Kakashi said, "Ino, this will not go outside this group." Ino nodded fervently. He continued, "Naruto is indeed the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox. This is only known to the civilian and ninja adults of the Hidden Leaf Village. There was a reason why children weren't told about him, but most of their parents did not want to let their children near him anyway. Your parents must have also said the same." Ino nodded again, tears forming in her eyes. She looked at Naruto and said, "I'm so sorry, Naruto. If I had known…"

Naruto interrupted her, "If you had known, you probably would have hated me more at that time, for being the monster that almost destroyed the Hidden Leaf. As a kid, I was always being beaten up by drunk civilians and other people for being a monster. Nobody gave me a chance to prove my worth in this village, until I met Iruka sensei. But I survived through it and made friends such as Sakura, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Kakashi sensei and….. And Sasuke as well." He faltered. Then he looked at her determinedly and continued, "And I don't feel bad about being a Jinchuuriki. It tells me that the Fourth Hokage thought that I would be brave enough to cope with it, and that makes me feel very proud. I have subdued the Kyuubi for the first time now, but now that I have done it, I have no doubt I will do it again."

Ino looked at him again, and then hugged him. His arms fell to his sides, stunned at her reaction and more than mildly embarrassed. Sakura looked annoyed at this sudden affectionate display but also worried and relieved the Naruto had repelled the Kyuubi on his own. Well, mostly, considering Kakashi's help. Shizune was happy to see that her self-appointed brother had become so mature and strong. And Kakashi sensei gave Naruto his eye smile.


	5. Chapter 5: The Training Ends

**Chapter 5: The Training Ends**

The rest of the week went by normally, with Ino and Shizune dropping by once more, this time to have lunch with the team. Sakura noticed that Ino kept glancing towards Naruto, but she guessed that it must have been because of the Kyuubi and decided not to talk about it yet. Kakashi sensei had picked up their training again but was making sure not to tax Naruto too much. He had his Sharingan out every day, making sure that he did not spot a single bit of Kyuubi's chakra in Naruto's body, apart from the stomach where the demon was sealed.

In the entire week, they had grasped the basics of all the TaiJutsu forms Kakashi had taught them, learned a few NinJutsu of the wind, lightning and water affinities. Naruto had displayed proficiency in wind and lightning, but could not grasp water jutsus at all. Kakashi took a guess that the Kyuubi, being a fire spirit, must have interfered with this ability. Sakura could handle water and lightning well, although she was weaker in lightning jutsus than Naruto. Kakashi thought, 'They made some amazing progress this week. If they had been training like this for even just a year or so more, I'm pretty sure they could surpass their teachers, the Sannin.'

It was finally time to head back to the Leaf Village. As the two started packing up their bags, Kakashi stopped them. Naruto raised his eyebrow at Kakashi, who explained, "I'm bending the rules. We are going to have a test of what you learned in this past week so that I can sum up your skills all at once."

Both of them nodded at him. He took them to a part of the ground further away from where they usually trained. He said, "As you can see, I have marked a circle of this ground to use for this test. You cannot leave this marked circle, nor can I. Anyone who leaves it even by mistake will be disqualified, and will not be able to get their hands on one of them."

Sakura looked confused but Naruto just groaned knowingly, as Kakashi removed two bells from his pocket. He said, "You have until noon to get the bells. And Naruto, I've finished reading **that** book so that trick won't work again."

"I wrote **half** of the next book," shot back Naruto. Kakashi stammered, "Well then, let's just make that a disqualifying offense this time shall we?" Naruto just smirked evilly at him, and he shuddered. He swallowed his fear and said, "Begin!" Both of them just stood there. Sakura looked at Naruto and nodded. Naruto raised his hands and signed, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Scores of clones shot out running around randomly, until the traps started showing up. Naruto clones were strung up by lasso ropes, fell into pits, coughed as poison fogs shot into the air and exploded as hidden kunai flung into them. Kakashi gaped at them as his week-long efforts were destroyed immediately. He tried to calm himself but couldn't stop from almost crying as his traps were destroyed in seconds.

Naruto and Sakura smirked at him, Naruto saying, "Shall we begin now, sensei?" Kakashi stared at them, totally dumbfounded. Then he asked, "What gave it away?" Sakura said, "Apart from the fact that we couldn't leave the circle? We saw you digging something here today at dawn. I told Naruto and he decided that you must be setting up something. We know you too well now, sensei!"

Kakashi nodded wearily, feeling quite old all of a sudden. But he got no more time to relax as Naruto suddenly attacked him with a ferocity that he never would have expected from him. He punched and jabbed and kicked with all the fierceness of an animal and strength of a demon. Kakashi saw that his eyes had become red and slitted. He asked, "What the hell are you doing, Naruto?"

Naruto spoke and his voice contained the growl of the Kyuubi, "**You told me to take the bells, didn't you? And the only way I can do so is to come at you with lethal force."** Kakashi wondered whether the Kyuubi had possessed him again and tried to get his headband up, but it was too late.

Kakashi was suddenly lifted up into the air and flung to his side. He bounced onto the ground once and then cartwheeled back to his feet. He looked up to see what had happened and to his surprise, saw Sakura standing with one hand holding a bell and the other in a 'V' pose. And Naruto stood next to her with the other bell in his hand, his eyes completely cerulean blue and smirking at Kakashi. As realization dawned up Kakashi, he asked, "The whole thing was just an act?"

Naruto grinned, "Of course, it was. As if I would ever hurt you, sensei. I Just figured that if I attacked you hard enough, you would forget about Sakura." Kakashi scratched his head, embarrassed and said, "You guys know me too well to make this a valid test. You pass, for what it's worth."

And he thought in his mind, 'You've even surpassed me now. Keep it up and become the heroes of the future.'

As they headed back to the village, they met Lee, Neji and Tenten along with Gai sensei. "Hey everyone!" Naruto said boisterously, as they joined groups and headed to the village. "Back from a mission?" he asked, to which Lee and Neji nodded. Gai sensei looked at them and said, "We had gone to the Land of Air to help the Sand Ninjas with a rescue mission. Our skills were specially requested because of our team's speed." Kakashi asked, "What was the mission?" Gai replied, "Some technicians had gone missing from the Land of Air in the past few weeks. It was our mission along with a Sand team to find their trail and rescue them."

"Our secondary objective was to eliminate the threat, if any." Lee and Neji nodded appreciatively at that while Tenten sighed. Naruto noticed their expressions and asked, "What happened? Were there many enemies?" Lee nodded, while Neji explained, "The kidnappings were conducted by a group of rogues who wanted to use technology to try to use jutsu by creating jutsu circuits. They had already reached the final stages when we stopped them." Naruto didn't seem appeased so Neji continued, "Circuits are fragile things; jutsu circuits even more so. A simple water jutsu was enough to negate the circuits that the bandits had strapped to their hands."

Naruto nodded, remembering that Pervy Sage had taught him about circuits but he had not paid that much attention at the time. As they reached the village gates, Raido and Genma looked at them and said, "Identification?"

Everyone stopped, surprised and incredulous. Kakashi said, "What's the matter, Genma? Why are you asking for identification from us? You know us very well." Genma nodded, but kept his guard. "The Hokage just received word from the Kazekage that a group of robbers have gained a scroll from a tomb of a disciple of the Sage of Six Paths. It allows the robbers to transform into anyone they have ever seen before, and that the transformation is so perfect that not even an elite ninja can make out the difference."

Kakashi and Gai looked at each other, then suddenly sprung two kunai out and threw them at each other. All the students looked surprised at this exchange and tensed in anticipation. Kakashi asked sternly, "What was the first thing Might Gai ever said to me in the academy, after he and I passed and became Genin?" Gai responded, "I challenge you Kakashi! You cannot match the power of the Handsome Devil of the Leaf Village!" Despite the grave situation, Gai could not help but blush in embarrassment as he said the words. Both Kakashi and Gai relaxed. Naruto had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stop laughing, while Gai's team did not react, having heard this sort of stuff way too many times.

Gai grumbled, "Of all the things you could ask me, you had to ask that?" Kakashi said, "I had to be certain." But his eyes gave his amusement away. Everyone relaxed and Genma allowed them to continue. As they made their way to Ninja Ops, Gai and Kakashi fell back a bit, talking to themselves in hushed tones. Naruto couldn't help but try to overhear them, but Kakashi had used the Air Vacuum Jutsu to keep him out of earshot.

They reached Ninja Ops to find Lady Tsunade standing outside, waiting for them. She started talking as soon as they reached, "It's good that I found you guys together. I have a mission for you. Get in the office. I'm waiting for another person." They obliged, shunshining straight into her office. After a couple of minutes, Naruto started fidgeting and Sakura gave him a light pounding on the head to keep him from doing something stupid.

Just as things were getting nervous, Tsunade stepped into the room along with the forms of Asuma, Ino, Shikamaru and Choji. She looked at everyone as she sat in her chair. As she was about to talk, she received a call. "WHAT IS IT?" she yelled into the phone before calming down considerably. "Sorry, Gaara, I'm a bit on edge right now. I have three teams in my office right now. Want me to switch to loudspeaker mode?" He must have obliged because she did.

"As you must know by now, a group of robbers have desecrated the tomb of a legendary ninja who was a student of the Sage of Six Paths. This student was a master of disguise and the scrolls hidden in the tomb have helped the robbers achieve the same transformation skills. This is extremely infuriating for the Land of Air, because the student was from our country and it is a matter of personal pride for us. The gang which stole the scroll was last seen in the Land of Greens and is quite large too. I am sending three teams to the Land of Greens. I wish to take the help of your teams as well, since these robbers could be anyone. You need to find and eliminate these robbers. Show no mercy."

Gaara's cold and slow voice showed that he was deeply insulted by this bold show and was going to go to any extent to stop this immediately. Naruto cracked his knuckles happily, but Kakashi looked at Sakura and they nodded at once. Kakashi said, "With all due respect, I would like our team to be replaced with Team 8." Everyone looked at him in surprise. Then they saw the look in his eyes and the tattered clothes of Naruto and Sakura. They realized where Kakashi was coming from. Lady Tsunade looked at them and asked, "Why Team 8, Kakashi?"

He nodded, knowing she would ask, "Team 8 is a tracking specialist team. Shino's bugs, Kiba's nose and Hinata's eyes cannot be fooled. I have no doubt that they would be a much better choice. Even if we have a better combat ability, they compensate with it because of their respective clans' hidden Jutsus."

The Hokage understood and then Kakashi continued, "Besides, I wish to speak to in private, with something concerning Naruto." Tsunade replied, "Don't worry about that, Shizune told me everything. However, we will need to talk to you privately, Ino." Ino nodded, and her team mates looked at her. She shook her head and they understood.

Lady Tsunade continued, addressing the rest of them, "All of you, go and get some rest. Pack your bags and gear. You will meet me at the gates tomorrow at 7AM. Rendezvous with the Hidden Sand ninja at the Land of Greens. Gaara and I will give you a password with which you will recognize each other. Understood?"

"Yes Milady!" all the shinobi said, except for Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura. The Hokage dismissed everyone but for the three of them and Ino. Ino looked at the Sannin and said, "A Blood Oath, right?" Lady Tsunade nodded sadly. "It is necessary, to preserve the knowledge until it is time to let it be known." Ino asked, "And what will the penalty be?" The Sannin replied, "Memory loss should be sufficient."

Ino nodded, lowering her top slightly to inscribe the kanji for the Blood Oath on her chest. Naruto couldn't help but peek and got a small nosebleed. Ino didn't notice, but Sakura sure did. As Naruto clutched his head in pain, Ino continued, "I, Ino Yamanaka, of The Village Hidden in the Leaves, pledge to keep the secret of Naruto being the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails from anyone in the world except those in front of me right now unless it is somehow required. If I should convey this information to anyone, then I shall lose all memory of the taboo subjects."

Lady Tsunade nodded at her, and dismissed her. Ino looked at Naruto once before leaving. Naruto nodded slightly towards her and gave her an encouraging smile which she returned. As she left, all eyes returned to the Hokage, who said, "Now, I want to know everything in detail. What happened?" Kakashi explained how his training regime had cause Naruto to exhaust all his chakra, using the Kyuubi's chakra and it had led to the beast taking over. As he went on, Tsunade's eyes narrowed. She thought, 'So, Minato's seal was not as strong as we thought it. It is already cracking slowly, and if we do not do anything soon, we may as well have signed our own death warrants.'

She looked up at them, and said, "Now that you guys aren't going on the mission, I want both of you to rest for 2 days. After that, I will take your test. Both of you are dismissed. Kakashi, hang on." Naruto and Sakura took their leave, and Kakashi looked at the Hokage. Tsunade sighed and said, "Another seal will have to be applies over Minato's seal, Kakashi. I do not want to take any chances of letting what happened 16 years earlier repeat again."

He nodded, thinking of the same thing. "However, we must make sure that the seal is evenly matched. You know that Orochimaru had once put a 5 Pronged Seal over the Eight Trigram Seal, right?" The Sannin nodded, "Jiraiya told me about it interfering even with the boy's own chakra. But we'll find another seal. Most possibly the Divine Zodiac Animal Seal." Kakashi's eye widened.

**Author's Note**: Hey guys, I hope you're enjoying the story so far, I just wanted to clear a few things out. I have been receiving hateful messages in my inbox by people who say that I have been copying stuff from other people's stories. I just wanna say, SO WHAT! It's a fanfiction site, isn't it? Many of the ideas which I had for Naruto have been adopted already by other people, so is it my fault that my stuff is similar to other fics? And anyway, this isn't like something I'm getting money for, ya know? I'ts just for fun, so anyone who doesn't want me picking ideas from other people's stories, please don't read my fics. Peace.


	6. Chapter 6: Showtime! Sannin vs Genin!

**Chapter 6: Showtime! Sannin VS Genin!**

As the two days passed, Naruto and Sakura recuperated. Naruto, of course, was back to full energy in a day, but Sakura took some extra time to heal. However, after the 2 days were over, both the students were ready to fight their Hokage. The Hokage called them over to Ninja Ops and told them that their match would take place where they had done their training. Both Naruto and Sakura agreed, having become familiar with the layout of the ground now.

"Well then, it seems like it's finally show-time, kid." Tsunade said. Naruto grinned back at her and said, "It's not gonna be like last time Grandma, you won't even be able to touch my forehead this time."

"We'll see about that," Tsunade shot back.

They reached the ground and Tsunade took off her overcoat. Naruto managed to somehow maintain his concentration on the upcoming fight, which was hard considering the two huge distractions in front of him. Sakura, on the other hand, was totally calm and focused, as though she had done this a hundred times before. Which wasn't really far from the truth.

As the Hokage said, "Start," both of them charged at her. "A frontal assault?" she thought with a snort; they were a decade away from challenging here face to face in TaiJutsu. But as Sakura took a punch from the Legendary Sucker, she exploded into a cloud of white smoke. "A substitution? Or was it Naruto's Shadow Clone?" thought Tsunade as the smoke cleared. She saw a log in front of her and realized it was a substitution. Naruto charged in with a mix of Hard Fist and Iron Monk and her eyes widened, seeing the moves of her once friend, come alive in front of her.

The Hokage wondered where her apprentice was, not having known where the substitution was done from. She was pushed backward, Naruto guiding her and keeping himself clear of her attacks. Tsunade, meanwhile, constantly searched for Sakura. She found the young Kunoichi near the edge of the ground, staring intently at the two of them. Just as she wondered why Sakura was not attacking, she succeeded in driving Naruto back towards the log which she had previously seen Sakura substitute for. Suddenly the log burst into another cloud of smoke and Sakura emerged, her fully muscle boosted punch catching Tsunade straight in the jaw. As the Hokage went flying into the trees, she saw that she was flying straight towards Sakura, still standing at the edge of the ground, looking at her triumphantly, before Sakura ended the transformation and turned into Naruto who pulled Tsunade's hand hard and flung her back into the middle of the ground where Naruto and Sakura were waiting. The Naruto at edge of the ground disappeared in plumes of white smoke and Tsunade rolled to her feet.

"So," she thought, "The Sakura at the edge of the forest was a shadow clone of Naruto's. The real Sakura was the one who I punched. She transformed into a log, giving me any ninja's first conception that she had substituted. As I searched for Sakura, Naruto's plan was to initially push me towards the edge where I would see Sakura (which was Naruto's shadow clone) and then guide me back to the log where the real Sakura would transform back to normal and clock me in the jaw. What a flawless and perfectly executed plan! Did they plan this from before or did they do it just now?"

But she couldn't think any further before Naruto and Sakura charged again, this time for earnest. As Sakura was hit by the Sannin one more time, this time much harder, she went flying backwards towards Naruto, who caught her arm, rotated her in midair and sent her flying back towards the Hokage at twice the speed. The Sannin felt as shocked as she looked. "To take the inertia of my attack and use it against me? This is the first time I have ever seen something like this!"

Even Sakura bawled out, "WHAT THE HELL, NARUTO!" as she flew straight into a Tsunade readying herself for a right thrust kick. But at the last moment, Sakura again exploded into a log. Tsunade did not pause to think but splintered the log into tiny pieces with her kick. "Well, it was a real log this time and…" She barely dodged as Naruto came up in front of her and his punch caught her in the shoulder instead of the jaw. She could not believe herself. "Naruto throws her against me, she yells at him, then substitutes herself knowing that this time I will break it apart, only to have it distract me while Naruto comes up behind the log and attacks me! And all of this without uttering a single word! Amazing!"

As she jabbed Naruto in the stomach, he exploded into a cloud. "What now!" Tsunade thought desperately. She heard a small rumbling in the ground and barely rolled aside as Naruto came up from the ground and his fist still caught her right leg, which cracked from the sheer amount of force he put into his punch. While she sent chakra into her leg to repair her bone, she suddenly felt that she was missing something. She realized what it was when it knocked her to the ground in front of her. It was Sakura, who had punched the Sannin straight in the small of the back. As the Sannin dodged their blows, she looked for a way out of this and saw a glimmer of hope. She transformed into a log, taking a page out of their book. "That will put them off," she thought. Sure enough, Sakura immediately turned and began to scan the area, but Naruto had other plans. He kicked Tsunade in the ribs hard enough to destabilize the transformation. She rolled away, shocked. She looked at him questioningly, and he spoke for the first time that day, "I can smell you."

"Alright, that's it for me," the Sannin said. "You have both done wonderfully in the teamwork test. I honestly could not keep up with the pace of your attacks and the perfect co-ordination that you kids showed. Well done." Naruto and Sakura smiled and high-fived each other. "Well, a short rest, and then round 2, Naruto," Tsunade said, while thinking, "If he's alone, he can't pull these tricks against me. But then he has his Shadow Clones. I better watch out."

Around 5 minutes later, both, the Sannin and the Genin were standing in front of each other. This time, Sakura was the one to call it. "Begin!"

Naruto and Tsunade both rushed towards each other, Tsunade's hands glowing with the electricity of the Ranshinsho. As she touched Naruto, his hands flailed and she frowned, not expecting him to fall for her jutsu so easily. But suddenly, his hands swung out in twin punches and he boxed her ears, quite literally. The Sannin was unnerved now. She started to ask him, but Naruto said, "I asked Sakura to teach me the counter to the Ranshinsho." She nodded at his intelligence and stopped the flow of chakra into her hands to avoid wasting any more chakra. Naruto grinned at her and started his form of Iron Monk style.

The Sannin dodged his attacks, having seen them before, but he then started randomly mixing in the Snake Fist style as well. She hopped back two steps, signing. "Earth Style: Stone Claws Jutsu!" Seven sturdy claws of stone broke out of the earth to trap Naruto, who quickly signed, "Lightning Style: Stone Cracker Jutsu!" The talons broke into several pieces. As she looked at him, he said, "Kakashi Sensei taught it to me last week." She nodded before signing again. "Wind Style: Wind Screen!" The master medic sent out a huge blast of compressed air chakra towards Naruto who substituted himself for another log of wood. He appeared to the right of Tsunade and rushed in, preparing a Rasengan in his right hand.

"Thank God that I can finally do it without a clone," he told himself.

During his trip with Jiraiya, Naruto had finally learned to mold his chakra into the Rasengan without using a clone. The solution had been simple. As the Pervy Sage had suggested, Naruto's chakra flowed counter-clockwise, while he had molded his chakra clockwise. The old Sage had said, "_If you learn to mold your chakra in the direction opposite of what you do now, your chakra will not destabilize because it will not have any opposing force to hold it back."_ So it had taken a few days, but Naruto had managed to finally create a one - handed Rasengan on his own.

Now, Naruto used that attack, keeping it behind his back the entire time. The female Sannin looked at his run, determining that he probably had some shuriken or kunai in his hands, not knowing about his new ability. As he reached closer, she prepared herself for whatever he might throw at her. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the brightly shining ball of chakra thrust between her arms straight into her solar plexus. "RASENGAN!" roared Naruto, as the ball shredded her skin and flesh and sent her flying backwards.

Luckily, Lady Tsunade was not a legendary ninja for nothing. She had already sent her chakra to block her stomach from most of the attack. But she remembered that Kabuto had done the same, and it had still affected him. She had only one option at the moment, and although she hated herself for doing it, she had no choice.

She got up unsteadily, put her hands together and gathered her chakra. Sakura frowned and then realized what she was doing. She gasped.

Tsunade began to glow in a reddish aura. She intoned, "Reserve Seal Release! Ninja Arts: Mitotic Regeneration!" Naruto also stared at her as his Rasengan's damage was repaired in an instant. Tsunade charged at him, fully regenerated, but he was already planning his next move. As she got closer to the point of no return, he spawned a single Shadow Clone without hand signs. The Sannin stopped and stared at him, eyes wide. The Shadow Clone Jutsu was an A-rank Jutsu. Although he had been using it for quite some time, she didn't have any idea that he would be able to do it without hand signs.

Then Naruto smirked at her, his Shadow Clone having bought him the distraction he needed. He quickly signed and shouted, "Wind Style: Cyclone Spikes Jutsu!" 15 spikes of sharpened air chakra flew towards Tsunade and skewered her. Although she managed to dodge eight of them, three of them fully hit her and blasted back through her body, and the rest nicked her body in the arms and legs. But she healed even as she charged towards him and his Shadow Clone sacrificed itself for him, as her muscle boosted punch almost went through the body of the clone.

As he hopped back, he went to sign again but she flung a kunai at him and broke his concentration. She leaped ahead for a high kick. High kicks were considered dangerous because if the opponent got around them, the user was particularly susceptible to being attacked from the back. But the female Sannin didn't bother, knowing that she would regenerate and desperate to get an advantage over Naruto. But Naruto simply took the kick on his shoulder and smirked as the large bruise on his shoulder under his jacket began to heal immediately.

She pressed the attack but was unable to land any blows at him while he constantly jabbed her, and punched her, causing her to sustain the Mitotic Regeneration for more than half an hour. As she felt her chakra begin to ebb away, she paused. Naruto stopped, thinking that this was some ploy but she put her hands together and ended the regeneration jutsu. He stared at her until she called him and Sakura over. They jogged over and she said, panting slightly, "I have never seen such level of teamwork and individual skill before. You guys pass the test."

Naruto grumbled, "Not fair Grandma Tsunade! I was hardly getting started!"

Tsunade blanched.

Author's Note: Well, there's another chapter for you guys. This one's short but I think the quality trumps the quantity. Happy Reading!


	7. Chapter 1: Time To Report

**Chapter 7: Time to Report: Tsunade's Amazement**

As Naruto and Sakura reached back to the village with Lady Tsunade, they were asked for identification again. Tsunade gave them her ID and they nodded. They looked at the other two, but Tsunade said, "I'll vouch for them, because I just fought them and I know for sure that they are the real deal." Raido and Genma gaped at her in amazement, as she passed them, smirking slightly, before remembering that she had lost. That sobered her up pretty quick.

As they reached the office, Tsunade took out their reports and told them, "I am extremely impressed with your skills, both individual and as a team. I am putting you back on regular rotation duty from Monday. Now, I'm going to make some changes in your report. Naruto, I know everything about Sakura, her jutsus, her strength and her weapon's skills. But I have never seen you using those jutsus before. I will need to make note of them in your records."

Naruto looked at her honestly and said, "Grandma Tsunade, I would rather like it if you could keep the NinJutsu which I used, and the Iron Monk style away from my record. At least until I feel confident enough to share how I acquired them."

Tsunade frowned and he added hastily, "I have already told the Pervy Sage to keep mum about it, so you won't get anything out of him." She said, "But what is it that you do not wish to talk about yet?" Naruto smiled sheepishly and said, "I don't want to get people's hopes up before I become a Chunin or a Jonin." She nodded, suddenly understanding that he wanted to keep the secret because he was still a Genin by rank. However, that shouldn't have stopped him from telling her. "He's hiding something large," Tsunade thought, but didn't press the matter. Sakura was looking quizzically at Naruto as though she couldn't understand something about him. He fidgeted uncomfortably under their stares.

Finally, Tsunade decided, "I will make a record of your TaiJutsu improvements, except for the Iron Monk style. And tell me which jutsus you learnt from Kakashi, I can put them in the reports as well, can't I?" Naruto nodded, and Sakura said, "I also learnt a few new jutsus, Milady. I think you can add them to my reports too." The Sannin agreed, "I need to talk to you privately, Naruto. So I'll get Sakura's report done first." He looked at her, wondering what she wanted to talk about. Sakura stepped forward. The Hokage opened Sakura's report and looked up at her expectantly. Sakura hesitated for a second and then started speaking, "I learned mostly lightning style and water style jutsus. Kakashi sensei knew that I have an affinity for lightning, because of my mastery of the Ranshinsho." Tsunade smiled slightly, while Sakura continued, "Also, I'm basically an Earth chakra user. So water chakra was easier for me to learn as well. But I have absolutely no chance in using wind or fire chakra." The Sannin looked at her and said, "Well, everyone has their own affinities. For you to have three types of chakra affinities is a huge accomplishment. You will easily be able to make it to Jonin."

Sakura blushed slightly from the praise and continued, "I learnt the following Water Style jutsus from sensei. The Water Style: Vortex Jutsu, Giant Vortex Jutsu, Water Wall and the Water Dragon Jutsu." She again blushed and looked at her feet as Tsunade openly gaped at her. Finally, Tsunade managed to open her mouth and said weakly, "You learnt the Water Dragon Jutsu in one week?"

Sakura nodded. She continued, "I also learnt the following Lightning Style jutsus from Kakashi sensei. The Lightning Style: Lightning Trident, the Stone Cracker Jutsu, the Spark Darts Jutsu and the Lightning Lance Spears Jutsu." The younger medic looked at her teacher, mollified by the look on Tsunade's face. The only, angry, thought in the Sannin's head was, 'What the hell is Kakashi playing at?'

Sakura added, "Oh! I forgot. I also mastered the Earth Style: Mud Clone Jutsu."

'Sheesh!' Tsunade thought. 'This is too much!' But she didn't show it anymore and looked at Sakura with a healthy amount of respect and pride. She said, "I am so stunned right now that I can't think of anything. How did you master so many jutsus in one week?" Sakura scratched her head sheepishly, saying, "Well, I wouldn't say master. Kakashi sensei has placed all my Lightning Release Jutsus at C-Rank or B-Rank. He has told me that I will need to improve the techniques a lot more, before I can use them at which rank they really are." She looked slightly uncomfortable saying it, but Tsunade suddenly understood.

This week had not been devoted to training in the arts they had developed. It was to teach them a flurry of new techniques so that they could improve the techniques on the go, during missions or other normal training. She heaved a sigh of relief and said, "And what about the Water Style Jutsus? Are they at a similar level?" Sakura nodded, saying, "Of all the Water Style Jutsus, I can only use the Vortex Jutsu at its intended rank. My other Jutsus are again at C-Rank or B-Rank. My Water Dragon is absolutely miniscule right now, even if it is powerful." She looked at Naruto as she said that and he winced. Tsunade looked at him questioningly and Naruto and he explained, "I told her to try it on me. It broke my back with its force. If it was at its full level, I probably would have been dead." Tsunade glared at him, "What the hell were you thinking, baka? How could you do something so stupid?" He looked back at her, saying, "You know how fast I regenerate. Also Sakura was there to immediately heal my wound. So it didn't really matter."

"It matters to me, you stupid knucklehead! And if you ever try something like this again, I'll give orders to let you die! Is that understood?" He blanched at her expression and nodded fervently. The Sannin calmed down a little, and looked back at Sakura. "How could you even carry out such a risky plan, Sakura? Did you not know that the Water Dragon Jutsu is an A-Rank Jutsu, bordering on S-Rank, depending on the strength of the user?" Sakura looked down again, unable to say anything.

Tsunade forced herself to calm down completely, before continuing, "Be that as it may, what's done is done. I can only **request **you not to do it again. Is that clear?" Both of the students nodded mutely, before Tsunade said, "I am putting your new jutsus at C-Rank, Sakura, because I have not seen them myself. As you improve under my watch, I will update the records again." Sakura said, "Yes Milady." Tsunade looked at her, questioning her expression. Sakura said with a small blush, "I also learnt the Heavenly Fingers GenJutsu from Kakashi sensei."

Tsunade again gaped at Sakura. She could not believe her ears. The Heavenly Fingers Jutsu was an A-Rank GenJutsu which affected the senses of smell, touch and hearing all at once. To learn it in a week was unheard of. She grinned lecherously, remembering its effects, saying, "I will need to see it for myself later, Sakura. I can't be sure whether you have got it correctly." Sakura looked at her in confusion, saying, "But how will you…." And then she realized why Tsunade was grinning. She blushed more and murmured her assent. Tsunade said, "Okay now, is there anything else?" Sakura shook her head, and the Sannin said, "Then you may leave now." Sakura took her leave, looking at Naruto once before she left, who gave her a big thumbs up, and a smile. She smiled back at him encouragingly as she left.

Tsunade looked at Naruto with a grin and said, "I know you do not want to discuss the secret of the Iron Monk style and some of your techniques right now. But as the Hokage, it is my duty to know the powers and abilities of all the shinobi in the village. I have to know about it, even if I have to swear a Blood Oath not to share it with anyone." Naruto looked at her carefully, before nodding. She made a Blood Oath immediately, and he began to tell her about his trip….

The Hokage looked up at Naruto in astonishment, before hiding the look behind feigned neutrality. Her back slumped. She had to hand it to him; the boy was a prodigy. If he had not wasted his time playing tricks when he was younger, he would definitely be a Jonin by now, and Hokage in a few years' time. As it stood now, he was stronger than anyone else in the Hidden Leaf, and probably the other villages too. And that was without having the Kyuubi sealed within him.

Naruto said, "So that's all there is to it. Do you understand now, why the Pervy Sage and I don't want anyone to know yet?" She nodded gravely, before saying, "Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep it safe. Not that I have a choice now, with my Blood Oath and all." Naruto said, "Can I go now?" The Sannin looked at him, her expression clearing and said, "Not yet. You still have to give me the rest of your records." He remembered that they were here primarily to update their records. "Oh yeah," he said.

"I learnt the same Lightning jutsus that Sakura learnt," he said, to make it easier rather than naming all of them again. She nodded, creating the record immediately. He continued, "I also learnt these Wind Style Jutsus from Kakashi sensei. They are, the Wind Screen Jutsu, Giant Wind Gale, Impervious Wind Defense Jutsu, Four Winds Scattering Jutsu and the Air Vacuum Jutsu. I can use all of them at their intended rank."

The Hokage looked at him, stunned. Those were 3 A-Rank Jutsus, one S-Rank Jutsu and one B-Rank Jutsu. She asked, "You can use the Impervious Wind Defense at S-Rank? How?" He nodded, saying, "I asked Kakashi sensei and he said I was proficient enough. And I used Shadow Clones to decrease the time and increase the amount of training I could do." The female Sannin updated the record and said, "Go up to the roof and wait for me." He looked at her, confused, but went up nevertheless. Tsunade fell back into her chair, suddenly feeling every one of her…. forty years. Her eyebrows twitched at the personal deception, and she got back up in a hurry, wanting to see the technique for herself.

As she reached up on the roof, Tsunade activated a minor GenJutsu which could allow her to see chakra outside the body in different colors. She said, "I want to see the Impervious Wind Defense, Naruto." He nodded, focusing his chakra for the jutsu.

"Tori, Ushi, Hitsuji, Uma, Mi, Ne, I, Saru, I, Tatsu, Hitsuji, Ne, Tora, Inu, Mi, Tatsu! Wind Style: Impervious Wind Defense!" Naruto intoned. The watchful eyes of Tsunade, coupled with the GenJutsu, just made out the outline of chakra rotating outside his body in an extremely fast clockwise direction. She marveled at the speed that it was going at. The Sannin decided to test the density and speed as she threw a kunai at Naruto, who didn't even move. The kunai not only bounced back from the shield Naruto had created, but it also flung itself back at Tsunade with twice the speed she had thrown it at.

The Hokage barely dodged her own weapon, which still nicked her in the left shoulder as it flew past, landing seven buildings away from their building. "Holy shit…" Tsunade thought as she saw the speed of the steel missile. "That is one amazing Jutsu. I never even imagined that Kakashi would know it." She thought, deciding to ask Kakashi how and where he had learnt it. "Naruto, you can stop the jutsu now," she said. Naruto relaxed, letting his chakra stop its circular motion.

"Are we done, Grandma Tsunade?" he asked. She nodded, and said, "You may go, Naruto. But if you happen to find Kakashi, tell him that I sent for him." Naruto nodded his understanding, and took off. Tsunade went back to the office. Just then, she saw Gai walking in towards Ninja Ops and wondered when his team had returned, and where the rest of them were.

Gai knocked and she said, "Enter." Gai came in, and seeing the expression on his face, Tsunade got worried. "What is it, Gai?" Gai looked at her, with a dark expression in his eyes. She could make out that he had been crying recently. He said, "The transformation scrolls were not the only scrolls the robbers had taken. They had taken a number of TaiJutsu scrolls as well. We eliminated them, of course, but Lee took a number of hits from a person who was using the Resonating Palms technique."

Tsunade's eyes shot up in anger and shock, as she roared, "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" He flinched, but met her gaze and nodded. The Sannin forced her anger down, remembering unpleasantly that it was this very form of TaiJutsu that took away her beloved brother. "We captured some of them alive, Milady. The one who used the Resonating Palms is with them. They are at the Interrogation Ops," Gai said. Tsunade looked up with steely eyes and said, "Lead the way."

Gai shook his head, "I'm here for another reason, Milady. **Lee** was fighting the guy who used the Resonating Palms. He is intensive care right now."

Suddenly, Tsunade understood why tears had been forming around Gai's eyes. He had witnessed the absolute destruction of his student in front of him. She got up with a speed that even left him blinking, and was gone before he knew it. They reached the hospital at a speed which would have left any shinobi stunned. As they entered Intensive Care, Tsunade saw Shizune making chakra cuts on Lee's body to separate pieces of his skin where they had been corroded.

She put on a mask and entered the room. "Why was I not informed of this operation, Shizune?" She asked dangerously. Shizune paled underneath her mask and hurriedly replied, stammering, "I'm sorry, Milady. I thought…. I thought that you would not be able to con…concentrate, given what has happened over the years."

Tsunade leant over, checking the wounds. She then began using two carefully designed chakra scalpels to remove all the skin over the corroded areas of Lee's body. Then she initiated her Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu and poured her chakra into Lee's body. The fine-tuned jutsu was passed from her body to Lee's body and his internal organs, which were mashed up, starting repairing themselves. The master medic's body began to slump as the jutsu wore her down, but Shizune put her hands on her mentor's shoulders, pouring her own chakra into the female Sannin.

The operation took several hours, but they were able to completely regenerate Lee's body to an almost pristine state. Both the medics slumped into chairs as they took food pills to regain some of their chakra. Gai walked up to them carefully, with Neji and Tenten trailing behind him. Tsunade looked up at him and smiled slightly. He burst into tears, falling at the Hokage's feet, who brought him back up and hugged him. Neji and Tenten looked relieved and even Tenten cried slowly but happily. Neji, who had become more open in the years after being defeated by Naruto, put his arm around Tenten's shoulders and comforted her.

"How is he now, Milady?" Neji asked. She looks at him and said, "We were able to restore him completely. We may also have improved his body a little, given the fact that we had to burn away the little bit of fat that he had underneath his skin. But he will need a month of therapy to get back in shape. After that, we will add him back into rotation."

"Can… can I see him, Lady Hokage?" Gai asked. She nodded, saying, "But he won't be talking now. We have given him a strong anesthetic. He won't wake up until tomorrow." Gai nodded and went in the room. A moment later the nurse came rushing out, saying, "Milady, please come in right away!" Tsunade rushed back in to see Lee with his eyes open, smiling at Gai sensei. She calmed down, but thought, "How did he wake up so quickly?"

Lee spoke, "I am sorry, Gai sensei. I was weak and caused everyone so much pain. I promise that I will do better next time." Tears silently came streaming down Gai's cheeks as he said, "I will train you so well that you will never need the hospital again, Lee!" He lightly embraced Lee and then went back out, allowing Neji and Tenten to come in. They took one look at him and Tenten started crying again. Lee clasped Neji's hand and said, "I will get well soon and then we shall spar again, Neji!" Neji smiled in spite of himself, and said, "I look forward to it, my friend."


	8. Chapter 8: Naruto's Predicament

**Chapter 8: Naruto's Predicament**

Naruto sighed in contentment as he slurped down his ramen. He and Iruka sensei had come to Ichiraku's, to celebrate Naruto's mastery of the longsword and the staff blade. As they ate their ramen, Naruto suddenly asked, "Hey, sensei? Can you tell me how the Jonin exams work?" Iruka wondered what had gotten into him suddenly, but decided to tell him. He said, "The Jonin Trials are quite different from the Chunin exams. They are each held within their own village, with the village elders and the Jonin council debating on who should be promoted or not."

"There are 5 tests to be taken, each based on the Five Pillars of the Ninja Arts, namely, TaiJutsu, GenJutsu, NinJutsu, KenJutsu and Stealth and Tracking skills. KenJutsu, being weapons skills of course," he added, looking at the dense expression on the knucklehead's face. "Ah, alright then," Naruto's expression cleared, and Iruka continued, "The basic rules of the five tests are set as per the Council of Shadows, namely the Kages of the Five Great Nations."

"But each proctor who takes the exam can set some rules of his or her own, which test the exam in a different manner. For example, the Jonin exams which I passed had two different proctors for each exam. Kakashi and Might Gai were the proctors for the stealth and tracking skills test. Kakashi had a basic test of hide and seek. The objective of his test was to find all of his clones and him before the time limit and then to escape him while he tracked us and our clones."

Naruto nodded, and Iruka continued, "Gai, however, had a different approach. He created an obstacle course to run through. You had to complete a certain numbers of mini tests in the course to complete the test. So even though the basics are set by the Council, the proctors have a great amount of leeway."

"And you made Jonin this time, right?" Naruto asked. Iruka nodded, smiling proudly at his accomplishment. He said, "This time was easier for me, because I had been practicing more GenJutsu and weapons, which most shinobi do not bother with at all." Naruto agreed with him; knowing only too well how his training had been in the last three years.

As they left Ichiraku's, Naruto said, "Can you give me some tips regarding GenJutsu some time, sensei? I'm learning from Shizune nee-san but I would be glad to have another teacher, now that my weapons skills are mostly polished."

Iruka smiled at the slight exaggeration, and said, "Sure, I'll do whatever I can to help."

"Thanks a lot, sensei!" Naruto shouted as he ran off into the night. Iruka slowly continued towards his house, finally allowing himself to show his wounds from the intense weapon fight with Naruto. As he reached home, he took out some ointment and began rubbing it over his limbs. "Damn, Naruto is strong now. He gave me such a drubbing this time that my bruises won't heal for days. He even surpassed me a long time ago. If I could, I would make him the Hokage as soon as he got as mature as he should be."

Naruto entered his barracks to find the door in pieces. He looked at his apartment, totally in ruins, with scorches all over the walls and his gadgets in ruins. He looked at the mess and ran quickly to his bedroom. He lifted the bed up and looked under the secret compartment he had built into the bed. He heaved a sigh of relief. Nothing important to him had been touched; obviously, whoever had done this had thought that he felt the gadgets were important to him. He couldn't care less about them. It could have been a ninja, using a Fire Jutsu, or simply some drunk civilians with torches.

But one thing was certain; he could no longer stay here.

He called up the Hokage and Kakashi in a conference call. They both picked up immediately and the Hokage yelled, "What is it, knucklehead?" while Kakashi asked more normally, "Did you need something, Naruto?" As they realized that it was a conference call, Tsunade calmed down and Kakashi looked worried. Naruto said simply, "They destroyed my apartment in the barracks."

"What?" both of them said at the same time. He repeated the statement and they realized the gravity of the situation. Tsunade sighed, and Kakashi also let his disappointment show by swearing once. "What will you do now, Naruto?" He asked. "Do you want to bunk with me for a couple of days?"

"Thanks, Kakashi sensei. I guess I could crash on your couch for the night while I decide what to do next. Thankfully, nothing important to me has been destroyed, so that's a relief." Tsunade's heart went out to the boy but he was still not legally of age, and so she again hid what belonged to him. She told him that she would see if she could do anything for him, and then said, "Good you called in a conference. Kakashi, I've been wanting to talk to you. Meet me at the office tomorrow afternoon." She closed the call on her side. Kakashi and Naruto spoke for a couple of minutes and then Kakashi told him to come over.

Naruto took all of his gear, his important possessions, the scrolls the Pervy Sage had given him, and took off. He reached Kakashi's house, which was in a modestly decent part of town. He knocked and Kakashi opened the door. He was unmasked; Naruto saw that his face was lean and handsome. He realized why Ayame had been love struck that day when they were trying to see his face, although it didn't have any effect on him. He thanked Kakashi for letting him stay.

Next morning, Kakashi woke up to the smell and sound of frying bacon. He wondered what was going on, before remembering that Naruto was staying with him. He looked at the couch and couldn't believe that it had been slept in. "When did Naruto get so tidy?" he thought, remembering the state of Naruto's apartment when he had first visited it with the Third Hokage.

He washed his face and came to the dining room to see breakfast served and Naruto standing in his full uniform, ready to hit the street. "What's up, Naruto?" he asked, confused. Naruto looked at him sheepishly and said, "It's my way of saying thank you, sensei," Kakashi sat down and indicated that Naruto should sit as well.

They both had breakfast and Kakashi's eye widened at the deliciousness of the bacon. He complimented Naruto, asking him, "Where did you learn to cook so well, Naruto?" Naruto grinned slightly, "The Pervy Sage was quite demanding. I had to earn my lessons, by cooking for him. And he flat out refused to eat ramen. He said that I had survived on ramen long enough and that it was time to start eating healthy." Kakashi looked at Naruto, respect in his uncovered eye. "So, what are you going to do now, Naruto? Are you comfortable staying here, or do you want to find another place?"

Naruto looked at his teacher in mild confusion and said, "I don't really know. I think it would be better to find another room rather than bother you every day." Kakashi nodded, saying, "I wouldn't mind if you stayed, as long as you cooked wonderful stuff every day." His eye twinkled and Naruto laughed. Then he said seriously, "I think I'll go around looking for a place to stay today." Kakashi agreed, and said, "I'll call up a few friends and ask if they have any older apartments that they don't use anymore."

"Thanks, sensei," Naruto smiled at him.

"Anytime, Naruto," Kakashi gave him his eye smile.

Naruto looked up at the condos and decided to take a look. He had told Teuchi about his problem, and the old man had directed Naruto towards the building where he himself stayed. But the locality was a little expensive and Naruto wasn't sure he wanted to spend so much money at the time. He thought, "I'll take a look and if I like it a lot, I might rent it rather than buying it full out."

He met the manager, who showed him the house. It was a decent sized house, with a big living room, a modular kitchen and a master bedroom along with a smaller bedroom and a separate bathroom. Naruto shook his head, saying, "It's way too big for me alone." The manager agreed, realizing that he would not be able to take care of the house on his own, and so he let the matter rest.

Naruto looked up various addresses that Kakashi had given him over a message, but all of them were again too big, made for couples or even families. He thought of asking his friends if anyone had an extra room which he could rent out. He ran into Shikamaru as he was on his way into the market district. Shikamaru said, "I am staying in a one room flat, anything bigger than that will be too troublesome. So I can't help you, Naruto. But I think Kiba and Shino have bigger apartments. Maybe you could try there?" Naruto thanked him and Shikamaru gave him the addresses.

Naruto ran off to Kiba's house. He knocked and Kiba welcomed him in. As Naruto told him what had happened, he sympathized with his friend but said, "Unfortunately, my other room is used by Akamaru as his kennel, so I can't possibly give it to rent. I'm sorry Naruto." Naruto understood and Kiba apologized again for not being able to help. "It's alright, Kiba. I'll see some other place. Don't worry about it," Naruto said. He left and went to Shino's house. But the result was about the same. Shino had kept his other room as a hive for his insects. Naruto paled a little and almost ran out of the house.

As he sat at Ichiraku's again for lunch, Ino popped in and said, "Hey old man, can I have a diet ramen?" Then she noticed Naruto sitting at a corner, staring at his ramen with a melancholy expression, and quietly asked Teuchi what was up. Teuchi answered, with a sympathetic look on his face, "Naruto's apartment in the barracks was razed by someone. He's looking for a place to stay but hasn't found anything small enough for him." Ino looked at Naruto and then joined him at the table. Naruto looked up and saw her looking at him intently. "Hey, Ino, what is a girl like you doing at a ramen shop?"

He asked, looking at her with a fake smile. She saw through his façade; she wasn't an interrogation specialist for nothing, after all. Teuchi answered, as he put the ramen down on the table, "Ino-san loves our new diet ramen. She's here almost as much as you now."

"I see," Naruto replied, taking a bite of noodles from his ramen. Ino looked at him, saying, "I can help you out, Naruto." He choked, and quickly drank a glass of water. "What do you mean, Ino? What help?" he tried to keep up his mask of normalcy, but it faltered in front of her. "What's wrong with me?" he thought.

"I'm an interrogator ninja, Naruto. I can tell when someone is lying, or faking their expressions," Ino said, taking a small bite of noodles as well. Naruto's mask slipped and she saw the worried expression on his face. He asked her, "What did you mean by saying you can help me?" Ino's looked at him and said, "I meant that I own an apartment now, which has two bedrooms. And I have wanted to rent the other bedroom out for quite a while now."

Naruto's face brightened as he considered that. "Ino is a girl, which means that her apartment must be in a better area of the city, and considerably cleaner that any of my male friends' apartments." But then his face fell, thinking, "There is also the fact that she is a **girl**, and that moving into her house could raise suspicions and awkward questions, even if I am paying rent. Also, I am not as close to Ino as I am with Shikamaru, or Sakura, for that matter."

He said, "Can you come with me?"

She nodded.

**Author's Note: **Hey guys, I'm sorry that this chapter is so short, but I'm actually busy getting my admissions done for my degree in Computer Engineering, so I don't have a lot of time. I hope you guys understand where I'm coming from, and I assure you that I'll have some really awesome stuff coming up, so you guys just need to hold on a little bit. Hopefully my admissions will be done in a couple of days, so I'll have some more time then. Happy Reading!


	9. Chapter 9: Naruto's Predicament (Contd)

**Chapter 9: Naruto's Predicament (Contd.)**

Naruto and Ino looked out to the village, sitting atop the stone head of the Fourth Hokage. Ino had to admit, the view was spectacular. She had never been here before. She looked back at Naruto, who was lying down, with his eyes open. He looked so calm and relaxed that she couldn't believe that a guy like this had such a rough past.

Naruto spoke, "I come here whenever I'm feeling low or sad. The wind on my skin, and ruffling through my hair allows me to forget my worries, if only for a little while. That is why I wanted you to come here. I wanted to ask you something."

Ino said, "Sure, fire away."

Naruto sat up and looked at her. "Why are you doing this?" he asked her. She looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?" she asked genuinely. He elaborated, "Why are you helping me, all of a sudden?" She looked hurt and he quickly amended, "Not that I'm against it, Ino. But I've never really been helped like this before and it's in my nature to get suspicious at such actions. I was even suspicious when Iruka sensei first offered to teach me privately after the normal classes had got over. But I learnt to trust him later. So I just want to know the reason, that's all."

She realized his feelings and looked at her feet. Then she spoke, "I've seen the cruel stuff that has been done to you. I never spoke against it because nobody else had ever defended you either. I always used to think about Sasuke and wonder why you liked to challenge him so much. But I was forced to stay away from you by my parents and so, I didn't help you in the way I should have."

She frowned, continuing, "As time passed by, you became a stronger ninja. You defeating Neji in the Chunin exams made me realize that you were not the stupid boy in the class as everyone thought you were. After that, I started to notice your abilities as well. Although I used to always pretend that I was after Sasuke, I also wanted to observe you." He looked at her in incredulous amazement and she nodded sadly.

"I wanted you to have more friends. I wanted you to have a normal life like the others. The only thing I did not understand at the time, was why you were treated that way. But after seeing the Kyuubi erupt from inside you that day, I suddenly understood. I understood why the citizens always looked at you with hatred. I understood why our parents tried to keep us away from you. But you have a magnetic personality, Naruto. Somehow, no matter what people try, they will be attracted towards you. It was the same thing that happened to me."

"I had decided to be your friend, Naruto. But just then, Sasuke left the village and you and Sakura were heartbroken. I visited you once, but you were unconscious. And then soon after that, you left the village for training with Master Jiraiya. I didn't think you would be gone so long. But as time passed, I realized that I was missing you. Missing a friend. Missing a person who had changed me, even if indirectly."

Naruto felt tears coming to his eyes and quickly wiped them away. He hadn't noticed this part of Ino ever before. He had always thought that she wanted to hang around with Sasuke, so he had never given her any notice before. But as he realized it, he could remember flashes of her smiling at him and glancing at him occasionally. He looked at her happily and said, "Thank you Ino. Thank you for being such a good friend."

She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks now, saying, "If I were half the friend that you have been to me, you wouldn't have to say that." Naruto put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up into his confident face. He said, "I would never begrudge you by the actions caused by other people. I feel proud of being the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox. It makes me feel that I have something that made me worthy to be of the Fourth's attention. So please stop crying, Ino."

Ino nodded, wiping her cheeks and looking back towards him, hiccupping slightly, "So are you going to rent that room, then? You never answered me." He looked up, remembering why he had asked her to come up here. He said, "I dunno, Ino. People might get the wrong interpretation if I move into your house with you." Ino looked at him, surprised and slightly blushing. She hadn't expected him to be the shy type. She said, "No one will say anything after the number of houses that you have approached today. And if anyone says anything, we'll shut their mouths together. Alright?" she said confidently.

He blinked and then nodded. "Okay, then. I guess this could work. But I'll rent it only until I get a place of my own." She agreed, respecting his decision. "Let's go, then. My home is quite far away from here." They both stood up and took one last deep breath, before running down the stairs together, smiling.

Naruto looked up at the building, with amazement. He had been past this building almost every day of his life as he went to Ichiraku's, but had never stopped to look at it thoroughly. Ino smiled slightly at his expression and led him in. The receptionist looked up and smiled, "Good afternoon Ino-san! You don't usually come back home in the afternoon. Is there any….." she froze as she saw Naruto walk up behind Ino. Her tone changed to that of utmost fright as she said, "What do you want?! Please leave the building immediately!"

Ino glared at her, "Is that how you treat my guests, Kurumi-san? I am very disappointed in you!" Kurumi stared at Ino as if she were mad and began, "Ino! That boy is…."

"My friend." Ino said. Kurumi stopped in mid-sentence as though she had been slapped. "He is my friend. Also, he is the boy who saved the entire village three years ago, during the attack from the Sound village. He is Naruto Uzumaki." Ino continued. Naruto felt as though a light balloon had inflated inside him. Kurumi continued, her voice hinting urgently towards Ino, "But he is the demon fox!"

Ino stepped up towards Kurumi till she was almost nose to nose with the woman. She said, "He is not the demon fox. He is a boy who has had to suffer terrible hardships because of the choice of the Fourth Hokage, who sealed the beast inside him. Naruto is as ordinary a boy as you are an ordinary woman. So if you ever utter those words again, I shall not mourn at your funeral. You have been warned." Ino stared coldly at Kurumi, who gulped once, then calmed down slightly. She said, "I am sorry Ino-san. I forgot myself when I saw him approach. Please forgive me." Ino replied coldly, "I am not the one who needs the apology."

Kurumi looked at Naruto, still a hint of fear in her eye, and said, "Please forgive me, Uzumaki-san. I shouldn't have said such a thing about you. I am terribly sorry." Naruto walked up towards her and held out his hand, without saying a word. After a moment of consideration, and a glare from Ino, Kurumi took his hand. He shook it and said jovially, "Call me Naruto. And you do not need to apologize. I am quite familiar with people treating me this way. It has greatly increased my patience with them. I just hope that you won't refer to me as the demon fox again, because that annoyance is already sealed within me. I am just an ordinary kid with an extraordinary dream of being Hokage."

The receptionist looked at him with a hint of amazement. She had never heard the boy's voice personally before, and never thought that he would be so well mannered. Mildly embarrassed, she nodded, and apologized again. He smiled at her and she warmed up to him immediately. As the two of them entered the lift, she blushed slightly, thinking, "He's quite tall and handsome too!"

The two of them got off at the 8th floor. Naruto followed Ino into an apartment on their right hand side. As they entered, Naruto caught a whiff of some sweet smell, which was very enticing. He looks at her questioningly, and she said, "It's a plant which I'm very fond of. The Alyssum flowers are extremely easy to grow and even reseed themselves automatically, giving huge clusters of flowers at a time, which smell very sweet."

Naruto nodded, taking in some more of the sweet aroma before looking around him. The living room was well kept, spacious and most importantly, not in pink. Naruto heaved a sigh of relief at that. Ino asked, "What happened?" mistaking his sigh for disappointment. He said, "I was so sure that everything would be pink." Ino chuckled and then chided him in mock anger, "Don't you think I would be wearing pink if that was the case? I have different tastes in colors."

He also smiled, moving in a little. He saw a neatly kept kitchen towards the right of the room, next to which was a room with a lock on it. He presumed that was the spare room. He looked at her and she nodded nervously, saying, "You may wanna clean it up a bit, I haven't checked it in quite a while." He said, "Not a problem. I have a jutsu for that." She looked surprised at that. He said, "I never took care of my barracks, because they were not my home. They were just a place to stay, while I earned money to buy my own place. But this is different. I always wanted a place of my own, which I could keep clean and come back to happily. So I will take care of this place as though it were my own."

Ino fished through a drawer at the table on the right corner in the living room, and found the key. She opened the room and hopped back as a cloud of dust flew up in front of her. Coughing lightly, she looked at him apologetically. He stepped into the room as the dust settled, opened the huge window and signed quickly, intoning, "Wind Style: Giant Sweep-through Jutsu!"

The dust was all swept up and at his direction, flew out of the window and he ran towards the window. As the dust started to fall downwards, he signed again, saying, "Wind Style: Four Winds Scattering!" He purposely kept the speed and density of the winds higher and the power less, so that the dust scattered evenly across the sky and slowly vanished from view. Naruto turned to see the room in a pristine state, and Ino with a stunned look on her face. He scratched his head, embarrassed. Ino said, "You have got to teach me that!"

"What?" Naruto asked, confused.

"I have to clean my house by hand, every time I go out on long missions. If I could do this, that would save a heck of a lot of time for me," Ino explained. Naruto nodded his understanding and went back into the living room, picked up his bag, and brought it in. Ino said, "If you want to take a shower, the bathroom is on the other side. My bedroom is off the landing opposite of the main bathroom. I'm gonna change into something comfortable now; you also get settled in." she said, and left the room, leaving Naruto in to check out the room fully.

He looked at everything carefully, making sure nothing was fragile. The bed was comfortably springy, but not to the point where one would simply sink into it. He liked that. Naruto took his stuff out of his bag and started arranging it. He put his clothes and uniforms into the wardrobe, and his spare headband on the dresser next to it. Then he took out his important possessions from the bottom of the bag and put them in drawer of the wardrobe, before putting a seal on the drawer, so that it would only open on his touch.

"I should take a shower; all this running around today has made me grimy," he thought as he took his towel, and headed towards the main bathroom.

As he headed towards the bathroom, Naruto bumped into Ino as she was coming out of her bedroom. He goggled at her; Ino was dressed in a small beige camisole top and dark blue boy shorts. "Holy shit!" he thought as she muttered a quick apology and sauntered off into the living room. Naruto almost ran into the bathroom.

Ino sat in the living room, blushing at how Naruto had stared at her right now. She had totally forgotten about him while she was changing. She wondered whether to go back and change into something less revealing, but decided that it would be too 'troublesome'. Meanwhile, Naruto couldn't stop the image of Ino from flashing in his head all the time. 'Damn! When did Ino get so hot?' he thought.

As Naruto stepped back into the landing, Ino noticed him. Naruto was standing in only his towel wrapped around him. As he crossed the room quickly, blushing at her stare, she thought only one thing, "Holy shit, he's ripped! Is this really the same scrawny Naruto I knew three years ago?" Naruto almost ran into his bedroom, blushing the entire way. He wasn't accustomed to showing off his body to anyone, let alone a girl. He immediately got into his clothes, a light blue shirt and khaki shorts. He came back out to see Ino looking off into the distance, her eyes glazed, and drool on the side of her mouth. He stepped up in front of her and snapped his fingers. Ino looked at him and then hastily wiped the drool from her lips.

"You want anything to eat, Ino? I was going to get a pizza or something, but I decided to ask you first," Naruto said. Ino went back into a trance briefly, wondering about something else that he could eat, but he snapped his fingers again and she said, "I'll just have a couple of slices off your pizza. I'm dieting, after all."

Naruto shook his head knowingly, and ordered pizza. The two of them sat watching a TV flick until the pizza arrived. Suddenly, Naruto remembered. "Oh man, I totally forgot to inform Kakashi sensei that I've found a place! Just give me a moment, Ino." "Sure," she replied, "But make it quick, I don't want the pizza to get cold."

Naruto stepped into the balcony and dialed Kakashi sensei's number. The phone rang thrice before Kakashi picked it up, saying, "What's up, Naruto? You didn't tell me whether you found a place yet." Naruto said, "I'm sorry, I totally forgot about it. I'm renting a room at Ino's apartment coz she has an extra room. I'll stay here until I find a place of my own to buy." Kakashi nodded, although Naruto couldn't see him, and said, "Good for you, Naruto. Well, take care. I'm going to the Hokage's office now, she had called me today afternoon. How about meeting me in the evening at the Memorial Stone?"

"Sure thing, sensei!" Naruto agreed enthusiastically. Kakashi hung up and Naruto headed back in. Ino had put some ketchup and chili powder on the pizza and was waiting to start. He looked at her, confused, "Why didn't you start eating, Ino?" She looked at him and said simply, "You ordered the food. I cannot insult that be starting before you. We should eat together." He said, "Sorry, I'm not used to all this stuff because I've lived alone till now."

Kakashi entered the office of the Hokage. She looked up and said, "Good of you to drop by." He smirked under his mask and said, "Nice of you to **ask**." She nodded at him to sit. As he sat on the chair in front of her, she leaned forward and asked him, "Did you notice all the combat styles and jutsus that Naruto has suddenly seemed to learn?" Kakashi nodded, saying, "It's quite astonishing. I have only ever seen Kushina-san use the Iron Monk style before. How did the knucklehead learn it?"

Tsunade said, "I asked him about it and it took some prodding and a Blood Oath and he told me." Kakashi's eye widened in surprise. If the Hokage had to take a Blood Oath to hide the secret, it must indeed be something astonishing. He asked, "Can you give me any hint as to what it is?" Tsunade smirked and said, "Much as I wish I could, I can't. The Blood Oath was taken in front of Naruto and he worded it for me. Although I can tell you this; Naruto is quite possibly the strongest ninja in the Hidden Leaf village right now, even surpassing the Fourth Hokage."

Kakashi looked at her, numbed with shock. What training had Master Jiraiya given Naruto, that the Hokage had said that he had surpassed Kakashi's sensei? He looked at her and said, "I see. Well then, I guess you're planning to retire soon, right?" She laughed and said, "Not quite. Naruto may be stronger than anyone else, but his level of maturity is still comparable to an infant. When he shows his maturity, and attains the level of Jonin, I will no doubt hand over the title to him. But Kakashi, should anything happen to me before this, I wish for you to be the next Hokage."

Kakashi paled and said, "But Milady, I don't want..." Tsunade held up her hand and stopped him. She said, "I never asked for this job as well. But when I came back, I realized that this was indeed what I was meant for. Just as you are meant for it too. You have punished yourself for too long, for thinking that you failed to protect your comrades. No more. This time, if anything happens to me, you **will** be the next Hokage and guide the village until Naruto is ready for it."

Kakashi nodded weakly. She said, "You may leave." He thought, 'What a drag!'

They enjoyed the pizza, and went back to watching some more TV, Naruto occasionally glancing at Ino and vice versa, until evening when Naruto went to meet Kakashi. Kakashi said, "I am happy you found a place to stay, Naruto. Although I'll miss the early morning bacon." They both laughed briefly before Kakashi continued, "Be a little careful, Naruto. Staying in a girl's house always attracts unwanted attention and awkward questions." Naruto nodded and said, "I know, sensei. But Ino insisted and said that if anyone said anything, she would help me shut that person's mouth as well." Kakashi looked at him in surprise, thinking, 'When did Ino become so close to Naruto?'

"Alright then, see you later, Naruto." Kakashi took off, and Naruto headed back home before realizing that he was headed to the barracks. He chided himself for forgetting, and turned the other way around. As he reached the building, he saw Ino out in the balcony, tending to her flowers. He smiled happily.


	10. Chapter 10: Vacation Time!

**Chapter 10: Vacation Time?! A Mission at the Beach!**

"… two ninety seven, two ninety eight, two ninety nine, three hundred!" Naruto said as he completed his push-ups. He got up from the ground and fell into the sofa. Ino came out of the kitchen and yelled, "For the last time, Naruto, don't put that sweaty body of yours on the sofa! How many times do I have to tell you?" He was up in a moment, wiping his sweat off with his towel, saying sheepishly, "Sorry, Ino-chan."

She froze. "What did he just call me? Did he just say Ino-**chan**?" she thought, blushing. He realized what he had just said and quickly said, "If you don't like the honorifics, I won't use them again, Ino." Ino looked at him, still blushing slightly. She teased, "On the contrary, I liked it a lot, Naru-**chan**!" She emphasized on 'chan' and he blushed too, understanding how she had felt when she heard it.

"What's got into me? Calling Ino as though she is my… Although she is my friend now, I should give her some time before I start using that word again." Naruto thought, and he went into his bedroom. Ino went back into the kitchen and continued preparing pancakes for breakfast.

Naruto came out of his bedroom in full uniform, and sniffed at the delicious smell of the pancakes. "Wow, Ino-ch… Ino, you're a really good cook!" He said, while thinking, "There I go again! Gotta remember to stop calling her that!" Ino smiled and said, "My mom taught this recipe to me. I thought of trying it, now that I have someone else to cook for too."

Naruto looked at her, embarrassed, and said, "Ino, you don't have to cook for me, ya know? I can cook too." Ino said, "I know I don't have to. But I want to. I never cook because it's too much to do just for one person. But since we are two of us, I can cook now without it being a waste of time." Naruto replied, "In that case, I will help you with cooking too." She nodded, pleased, "I would like that." They both sat and ate the pancakes, Naruto enjoying the flavor of the pancakes. Just as they were finished, a knock on the door caught their attention.

Ino tried to take the dishes, but Naruto beat her to it. "You cooked," he said, "It's only fair that I do the dishes." She smiled at him, and went to answer the door, while he took the dishes into the kitchen. It was Sakura. She came inside, saying, "Get ready, Ino. Our teams have a mission." Naruto's ears perked up. He created a single clone without making a sound. The clone grumbled silently, thinking, 'Why do I always get the work?' Naruto stepped closer towards the living room. He heard Sakura saying, "The Hokage has called our teams right away to Ninja Ops. I was trying your phone but it was not getting connected." Ino nodded, saying, "The battery ran out. I only just put it for charging." Sakura sighed and said, "I haven't been able to find Shikamaru and Naruto as well. I wonder where they've gone."

Ino's eyes shot up in amazement. She didn't know that Naruto had not told Sakura about him renting Ino's house. Naruto slapped his hand to his forehead as well, "How could I forget about that?" he thought. He stepped into the living room and Sakura noticed him. "Naruto? What on earth are you doing here?" Sakura said, looking at Ino and him suspiciously. Naruto said, "My house in the barracks was destroyed by someone. I've rented the spare bedroom in Ino's house."

Sakura looked at his seemingly honest face, but wasn't entirely convinced. However, she realized he was in his full uniform and guessed that he was at least partially telling the truth. She said, "Anyway, come on quickly. The Hokage is waiting for us." Naruto nodded, and Ino said, "Both of you get going. I'll get ready and meet you guys in ten minutes at Ops." Naruto and Sakura nodded.

They both took to the buildings, with Naruto growing more and more uncomfortable as Sakura's eyes bore through him from behind. He finally stopped on top of a building and said, "What is it, Sakura?" She looked at him intently and said, "Why didn't you tell me that your house was destroyed?" He replied, "Everything happened very quickly. The only people apart from Ino who knows this is Kakashi sensei, Grandma Tsunade, Kiba and Shino. And some of Kakashi sensei's old friends from the ANBU who Kakashi sensei sent me to ask if they could show me around their old houses. I bunked with Kakashi sensei the day before and spent half the day yesterday searching for houses. I met Ino at Ichiraku's and she told me that she wanted to rent her spare bedroom out. So I decided to take a look and liked the locality. It's also close to Ichiraku's and the Ninja Ops as well."

They had started moving again. Sakura looked at him uncertainly. He blushed uncomfortably under the gaze. She suddenly asked, "Naruto, do you have a crush on Ino?" He almost fell as he heard her statement. "Wha…What? Why would you uhh, think that way, S…Sakura?" he stammered. "I Knew It!" shouted Inner Sakura, while Sakura looked at him, "Don't try to hide it from me, Naruto! I know you quite well by now," she cracked her knuckles dangerously. He looked at her, terrified, and said, "Ok ok, fine. Ever since I returned to the Leaf village and saw her that day when we met them, remember, the time they were heading out for that B-Rank mission? I started crushing on her a little from then. But please don't tell her, Sakura. She's only recently become my friend and I don't want to ruin our friendship by this."

Sakura looked away and then said, "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." He heard an odd emptiness in her voice, but couldn't understand what it was. They reached the Ninja Ops to see Iruka, Yugao, Hinata, Choji, and Shikamaru waiting for them. Sakura guessed that Choji had found Shikamaru. They went into the office and Tsunade turned to talk to them, before saying, "Where's Ino?" Sakura replied, "She didn't receive the call like the others, because her phone's batteries were discharged. She'll be here in ten minutes."

"Alright then, we'll wait for her," the Hokage said. After around twelve minutes, Ino shunshined into the office in full combat gear, and the Hokage immediately started, "I have an A-Ranked mission for all of you." Everyone looked at her in surprise. There were eight of them standing there, 2 of them Jonin, 5 of them Chunin, and one Genin who was stronger than most Jonin. They wondered what missions could require so many people. The Sannin continued, "The mission is to protect the daughter of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, Princess Narumi from a kidnapping attempt."

Suddenly most of them realized why such a substantial group was being sent for the mission. The Daimyo had absolute control over the country, and his daughter was the only weakness anyone could exploit in order to take over the entire country at once. "Lady Tsunade," said Iruka, "I don't understand why we need eight ninja for this job. Surely the threat is not that big."

"Quite correct, Iruka. The threat is not great, but this is the daughter of the Daimyo, so a show of strength and loyalty is needed," Tsunade said, and Iruka nodded, as did Naruto.

Choji raised his hand and Tsunade looked at him questioningly. "Why aren't Kiba, Neji or Shino here? Or for that matter, Lee?" She nodded appreciatively at his question and said, "Lee is still in therapy from the damage he took against the grave robbers. Kiba's clan markings are much bigger than yours and are too obvious. Also, Neji has the Curse Mark Seal, which will make him stand out since he will not be able to cover it. And there is a reason Shino is covered from the head down." Choji nodded, satisfied with the reasoning.

"And you are not eight ninjas," continued Tsunade, "You are nine. Tenten has been undercover for a month as an exchange student to the school of Princess Narumi, and will be joining this mission. The various schools around the country are sending their students to Norikawa beach in the Land of Waves for a week to see the upcoming meteor shower." Everyone nodded, and she said, "This mission is such that you will not be allowed to act as ninja. You must pass as civilian students. That means, no visible weapons, civilian clothes, and since it's a beach, swimsuits."

Hinata, Sakura and Ino blushed. The boys looked at each other, slightly embarrassed. Tsunade continued, "You will be leaving next week. Make sure that you have everything ready with you when you leave. And Iruka, make sure that Naruto has appropriate clothing, given his fashion sense. Or complete lack thereof."

"Hey!" Naruto glared at her and everyone else except Hinata laughed.

As they headed out of the office, Hinata looked at Yugao and tapped her fingers, saying, "Umm…Yugao-san? I don't have a swim…swimsuit. I still have my academy one, but I don't think it will fit. Can you help me?" Yugao smiled gently at the timid girl and said, "Sure, Hinata. I just have to take care of a few things, and then I'll meet you around 4PM at Yoroi's store?" Hinata nodded and rushed off, still blushing. "Such a sweet young girl," Yugao thought, before leaving as well.

Ino and Sakura stepped out from the corner where they had been eavesdropping. Ino said, "You know, it's been a long time since I went to the beach. Wanna get a look at something nice to wear?" Sakura groaned as Ino smiled mischievously, for more than one reason. They headed out to Yoroi's store as fast as they could, Ino leading the way.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Iruka were unknowingly headed the same way. Naruto grumbled the entire way, saying, "I have enough clothes, Iruka sensei! I don't need more clothes!" Iruka nodded, saying, "You have enough clothes which would make other people puke, Naruto. You're coming with me and picking out at least five new outfits that will make you look more like a human being than an orange scarecrow."

As they entered the shop, Naruto heard Ino's voice, saying, "How about this one, Sakura?" And heard the gasp of Sakura, saying, "No way! It's so…so…revealing! Absolutely not!" Ino sighed. Sakura could still be such a shy girl when it came to flaunting herself. She picked up another swimsuit, a light pink tank top along with light blue short shorts. She thrust them to Sakura and told her, "Get in there and put in on." Sakura groaned at this unnecessary stuff and went in after catching the expression on Ino's face, which clearly said, 'Get in there or I'll Mind Transfer in there and do it myself.'

As Naruto heard all this, the pervert inside of him rose majestically and he said, "I don't really like any of these shirts, Iruka sensei, they're all pretty ugly. I need some new sandals, though. I'mma look at some." Conveniently, the sandals stand was quite near the changing rooms, so he could get a good look at the girls.

Ino was standing with her back to him, checking out a couple of bikinis. She was wearing a loose shirt and slacks, facilitating her to quickly change clothes, if needed. She turned towards the dressing room, saying, "This one seems to be my size." He looked at her and thought, '34D – 24 – 32.'

_"Now, Naruto, the first thing you must learn before any battle is, how to measure up your opponent precisely and accurately,"_ the old Sannin had taught him. Of course, rather than teaching him to size up real opponents, the old man had made Naruto look at women passing by, until the knucklehead could tell the size of a woman at a glance. Now, only the thickest of coats or jackets would have shielded his eyes from measuring the girl in front of him.

As she waited for Sakura to come out, Ino picked out two more suits to try on. Naruto got a small nosebleed, imagining how she would look in them. Just then Sakura came out, wearing the suit that Ino had given her. It looked quite good on her, and was not revealing much except her legs, which she didn't hide anyway. Ino nodded appreciatively, saying, "Very cute, Sakura." Naruto nodded too, thinking, '30A – 24 -28.'

Just then, Hinata and Yugao also entered the store. Ino and Sakura looked at the new arrivals and welcomed them. Yugao picked up a two piece swimsuit for Hinata, who almost fainted, seeing how revealing it was. Yugao put it down almost instantly, picking up another two piece, which was a halter top along with half thigh shorts. She gave them to Hinata and said, "Try it on." Still blushing furiously, Hinata put on the two piece and came out. Naruto almost whistled before he caught himself. He thought, "34DD – 24 – 32."

Both Ino and Sakura looked at Hinata's chest with jealousy; however, Hinata didn't seem to notice, as she looked over straight into Naruto's eyes at the sandal stall, and squeaked, "Na…Naruto?" before fainting on the spot.

Sakura also looked over to the spot and Naruto found a rather different expression on her face. "NA-RU-TO!" she roared and charged at him. He caught her punch with his right hand rather than let himself get clobbered as usual. "How dare you peek like this at us, Naruto?" Ino walked up to him, looking at him appraisingly and asked, "Were you peeking, Naruto? If you were, prepare to die."

Naruto gulped slightly. Ino's calm gaze had scared him more than Sakura's aggressiveness. He knew that if she Mind Transferred into him, she would find out everything immediately. He didn't give her the chance, delving into another advice the Pervy Sage had given him. "_Always have a reply ready if anyone catches you while infiltrating some secret forbidden area, Naruto." _And of course, the Sannin had forced Naruto to peek at women in hot springs until Naruto could smoothly lie after being caught in such situations.

He looked unflinchingly at Ino and said, "You heard Lady Tsunade talking about my fashion sense, right?" Ino and Sakura nodded, and he continued, "I came to the shop to buy some shirts, but they were all quite bad. Iruka sensei is still looking over the shirts again, see?" they saw Iruka standing nearby, ruffling through shirts. They looked at him with a little less suspicion. "Then what are you doing here?" they asked at the same time.

He continued, "I needed to buy civilian sandals. As you know mine are totally out for this trip. They are fully armored ninja sandals, and anyone would catch me immediately. And anyway," he said, "I was gonna see you girls in swimsuits soon anyway, so why would I bother getting beat up just to see you a few days earlier?" He let go of Sakura's hand as if to make his point. Ino and Sakura looked at each other and then pulled out a pair of sandals from the stand. "These will do for you," Sakura said. She then picked up Naruto by the scruff and put him down next to Iruka. She said, "You forgot something, sensei." Before walking off back to where Yugao was trying to revive Hinata.

Iruka looked at Naruto questioningly, "What did you do now, Naruto?"

Naruto said defensively, "Don't you wanna see what swimsuits the girls are gonna wear?"

Iruka looked at Naruto severely and said, "First of all, I respect girls. Secondly, they are my students." He said to himself, "Also, if **she **caught me looking at teenaged Kunoichi, suicide would be preferable to what she would do to me." Naruto's ears perked up as he hear the sentence. "Who's **she**, Iruka sensei?" he asked, smirking at his former mentor. Iruka stammered, "Umm…. Lady Tsunade, of course."

Naruto nodded, thinking what Iruka sensei had said and decided it wasn't worth taking another peek. They went out to other shops and picked out a few interesting t-shirts and shorts for Naruto. Naruto thanked Iruka sensei for his time and the two of them parted ways.

Naruto reached home to find the door locked. He fished out the key, remembering that Ino was with the others back at Yoroi's store. He entered the house, muttered, "I'm home" and went to keep his stuff in his bedroom. After that, he got some ramen out of the refrigerator, heated some water, poured it into the ramen cup and started eating.

Just then a kunai flung its way into the house and he jumped up, his mouth full of burning hot noodles, as the kunai had distracted him and made him take a much larger bite than intended. As he spat the noodles back into the bowl and began dancing around in pain, Ino entered the house with another kunai armed in her left hand. As she saw Naruto, her expression changed to that of complete embarrassment and she said, "I'm so sorry, Naruto. I haven't got used to seeing the door unlocked when I get back. I totally freaked out and forgot that you were also staying here now."

He said, "It's okay. Only don't ever do it again. I burned my mouth pretty badly right now." Ino looked at him, confused, then looked at the ramen cup in his hand and started giggling uncontrollably. She burst out laughing and tears streamed out of her eyes. Naruto couldn't help himself and started laughing too.

Then he noticed the bag on her arm and asked, "Your swimsuit?" while blushing faintly. She stopped laughing slowly, gasping for air, and simply nodded her head. Then she gave him a coy look and said seductively, "Want to see me in it?" Naruto couldn't stop; his face turned beetroot red as she smiled at him, came close to him and admonished softly in his ear, "Pervert." Then she smiled wickedly and said, "I'm gonna make you wait for ages, before you see me in this, Naruto!"

Naruto turned and quickly ran into his room before she could notice 'it'; he heard her laughing again as she went to change in her own room. "What just happened? Did Sakura tell Ino about my crush on her? She wouldn't, would she?" Naruto said, worried and his pants tented in appreciation of Ino's sudden seductive performance.

As the day arrived to leave for the tour, Ino and Naruto both woke up at dawn and started to get ready. As Ino stepped out of her room, Naruto goggled at her. Ino was wearing a simple lavender frock which went down to around half of her thighs. It was tight fitting until the part where it flared at her hips, and spread out a little at the end. She blushed slightly at his stare, but maintained her composure nevertheless. Naruto said, "You look stunning, Ino!"

She smile and said, "You're not looking half bad yourself." He had worn a deep blue t-shirt with a golden floral print on it, perfect for the beach. Along with them went a pair of beige shorts, which looked like camo material. Ino appreciated the outfit, liking Naruto's choice, not knowing that Iruka had picked these out for Naruto.

They both left the house, Naruto locking it behind them. As they reached the gates, they found no one there except the guards. "Where is everyone?" Naruto thought. After a couple of minutes, Sakura showed up, wearing a light green tank top that matched her eyes, and full length jeans. She also wore a nice hat, and looked pretty as well. Naruto complimented her as well, and she smiled and said, "Thanks, Naruto."

One by one, everyone arrived. Naruto looked around but couldn't see Tenten or Iruka anywhere. He asked Yugao where they were and Yugao replied, "Tenten is still with the students of Princess Narumi's school. She will meet us directly at the Land of Waves. As for Iruka, he's getting our transportation."

Naruto looked at her in confusion, saying, "Transportation?"

Sakura looked at him, exasperated and said, "Are you going to walk to the Land of Waves, Naruto?" He replied, "Why not? I've done it before." She said, "You're not a ninja this time, baka. We have to act as civilians. No civilian would be able to walk to the Land of Waves in a day!" He nodded, understanding, and then looked at the gates as a huge vehicle suddenly rumbled up towards them, with Iruka driving.

"A bus? Where'd it come from?" Naruto asked. Iruka got down from the bus and replied, "The Leaf village keeps come of these vehicles on hand for urgent business or for loaning to the civilians if they wish to travel in a tour."

"So where did you learn to drive, Iruka sensei," Naruto inquired, to which Iruka replied, "ll Chunin over the appropriate age are taught how to drive." He looked at Sakura and asked her, "So you can drive?" She said wistfully, "No, you have to be 18, not only a Chunin."

"Alright, everyone put your bags in the back of the bus, and then pick a seat." Yugao said, and everyone complied. Somehow Naruto found himself sitting next to Ino. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Hinata looked at the two of them, uncertain of what to do. Just then, Naruto looked back at Hinata and said, "Hey Hinata, what happened to your eyes? They used to be white." She stammered, "I couldn't pass as a civilian with the Byakugan, so the Hokage gave me colored contacts to wear." He smiled at her, saying, "Nice color, just like my eyes." She blushed at that, sighing in relief that she had spoken to him without fainting.

Just then the bus started and Naruto lurched at the sudden movement. He looked uncomfortably at Ino, who stared back in surprise. "Have you never been on a bus, Naruto?" she asked. He replied, "I never got a chance, Ino. Have you been on a bus before?" She said, "Yes, I was five when my parents took me to Kishinjimi beach at the Land of Water. That was the first time I sat in a bus."

Naruto nodded, still feeling a little uncomfortable. As the time passed, he got a little used to the feeling and got up, going to the front of the bus. He asked Yugao, who was sitting in front with Iruka, "Can I sit next to you?" Yugao looked at him, surprised and he said, "I've never moved so fast without having control over my body before. I wanted to see the trees as they passed by from the front." She nodded and shifted to the left to make a place for him to sit.

Naruto tried to look at the view outside the bus, but his eyes kept focusing towards Yugao. She frowned at the attention, before he suddenly shouted, "That's it!" Iruka almost went off road at the distraction and glared at Naruto. "Sorry, sensei," Naruto said, before turning to Yugao, "I finally remembered where I've seen you before. You were sitting next to Kakashi sensei at the Third's funeral, weren't you?" Yugao exhaled in relief and said, "Yes, yes I was." Naruto went back to looking out of the window and Yugao turned her attention outwards too.

Still looking out of the window, Naruto asked, "So how do you know Kakashi sensei?"

Yugao blanched.

**Author's Note: **Yosh! There's another chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoy. I just wanted to share with you guys that I got my admissions done and I will be starting college on 1st September. I don't know if I will be able to post chapters everyday then, but hopefully I'll get some free time to do it. I really do hope that you guys are enjoying the chapters and please do review because it just fills me with pride every time I see a new review saying that it was a good read, or to tell me to update soon. So I'll see you guys tomorrow, and till then, Enjoy Reading!


	11. Chapter 11: Time to Have Fun!

**Chapter 11: Time to Have Fun!**

As they pulled up to the resort, Naruto couldn't help but almost run out and feel the fresh humid air on his face. The rest of the squad got down after him carefully, keeping an out for the other civilians, now that they were supposed to act like them. Sakura whispered angrily, "Act like a mature guy, Naruto!" He looked at her and remembered the mission. He nodded at her sheepishly.

Iruka stepped out of the driver's seat, yawning. "Everyone get your bags from the back of the bus. We'll get checked in and then have lunch. After that you guys can hit the beach." Everyone nodded, and trooped into the hotel. Just as they all finished getting their room keys, a shout came up from the opposite side of the room, "Hey, Ino!"

Ino looked around to find Tenten waving at her. She smiled and waved back. Tenten came running towards them, dragging another girl with her. She said, "It's so good to see you guys after so long! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" Everyone laughed and Iruka asked, "Who is your friend there, Tenten?"

Tenten said, "This is Narumi. She's a friend of mine from the school where I was sent as an exchange student." Everyone's eyes widened as they realized that it was the princess. Narumi was hazel eyed, with wonderfully long and curly black hair flowing down to the small in her back, and had a lean and athletic figure that rivaled Ino's. Her face was triangular shaped, with a slightly pointed chin, that gave her a look of cunning along with beauty.

Narumi bowed towards them slightly. Yugao said, "It is an honor to meet you, Princess Narumi." Narumi said, "Please do not say things like that. I really hate it when people address me like I'm someone high and mighty. I have done nothing yet, to receive such exaggerated reactions from people. Just call me Narumi, everyone. Tenten, won't you introduce me to your friends?"

Tenten nodded. She said, "These are our teachers, Iruka sensei and Yugao sensei. These are my friends, Ino, Sakura, Hinata, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji." Narumi looked them up and down. She shook everyone's hand. She seemed pleased with Naruto and Choji and a little put off at Shikamaru's expressions. She shook Hinata's hand with more than a little dominance, and clasped hands challengingly with Ino and Sakura. Her eyes twinkled as she met Ino's eyes.

Lunch was very nice indeed. As everyone sat and spoke, Princess Narumi walked up to them and asked, "May I sit with you guys?" Yugao said, "It would be an honor, Narumi-sama." Narumi frowned and Yugao said, "Sorry, Narumi-san, it is not easy for us to simply accept you as any other normal girl." Narumi sat down, saying, "Well, you must."

Everyone sat in an uncomfortable silence, except for Tenten, who spoke amicably with the princess. As she noticed, she said, "You don't have to be so silent, you know! I may be the daughter of a Daimyo, but I still am a regular girl." Her reaction set them off and the talking resumed. Naruto was sitting between Ino and Hinata. It was difficult for Hinata to talk to him, given the fact that all his attention was being directed towards Ino. However, Narumi was not as shy as Hinata and said, "Naruto, pass the pepper."

He ignored her and continued to talk to Ino. But Ino had gone silent and she urged him with his eyes, to give Narumi the pepper. Iruka said, "Didn't you hear, Naruto?" Naruto looked at them and said, "Of course I heard. But if any **normal **girl asked to to pass the pepper in that manner, I would ignore her just like this." Everyone stared at him with varying expressions of horror, but Iruka looked at him angrily and started, "Naruto, that's…"

"Completely right," said Narumi causing everyone to stare at her. She said, "I think that Naruto was completely right just now. I am trying to be a normal person, but I have got so used to ordering around everyone that I have forgotten my manners. Naruto, can you please pass the pepper?"

"Sure, Narumi-san," said the daredevil knucklehead, as he passed the pepper pot to her. Lunch continued with everyone back to normal. Or back to shy, in Hinata's case.

As the afternoon went on, Naruto and the other boys hit the beach. Naruto ran out into the ocean with a whoop of joy, before noticing that no one else had joined him. He said, "What's the hold up, guys?" Shikamaru shook his head disparagingly and said, "Don't you think we should wait for the girls?" Naruto grinned and said, "Sure." He came back out and waited. The first girl to come out of the hotel was Ino, walking out confidently in a matte black two piece, strapless at the top. It left around eighty-five percent of her body uncovered, but she couldn't care less. All she wanted was Naruto to look at her. As she found him staring at her, googly eyed, she thought, 'Jackpot!'

Ino attracted a large number of catcalls and wolf whistles as she sauntered over to Naruto and said, "Care to put sun block on my back? I can't reach over to it." Naruto grinned and said, "My pleasure, Ino."

Just then, Sakura came out of the hotel as well. She was annoyed at the way Ino had come out without her. Sakura was wearing the pink tank top and blue shorts which Ino had picked out for her. Many on the beach found the modest get-up of Sakura more attractive than Ino's shameless display. But the next arrival completely change the atmosphere.

Narumi burst out of the hotel, and almost every boy at the beach whistled in awe. Except Naruto, who's eyes were focused on Ino's flawless back, and Shikamaru, who thought that the whole thing was too 'troublesome'. Narumi was dressed in an expensive looking leopard print strapless top and high cut Brazilian bottoms to match. She came and sat next to the guys, attracting a large gaggle of boys around her.

Next out were Hinata and Yugao, Hinata radiating nerves, knowing that Naruto would see her in swimsuit for the first time. She wore a lavender halter top and grey-blue half thigh shorts. She certainly looked beautiful and attracted a crowd as well. As she tried to get rid of them and edged closer to Naruto and the gang, he looked up and saw her and Narumi as well. A well trained part of his mind immediately recorded Narumi's size, '34C – 24 – 30.'

"Focus, Naruto," came Ino's voice as he suddenly became aware that his hands were just above Ino's buttocks. He blushed furiously and went back to her upper back. Sakura scowled and looked away. Hinata also blushed brightly and Narumi looked at Naruto thoughtfully. The group of boys kept surrounding her and she finally allowed herself to be dragged away from them and join others in some activities.

Tenten had come out of the hotel, wearing a moss green one-piece. It was well fitting and showed off her toned body and abs without revealing her modesty. Naruto looked at her and thought, '32B – 26 – 28.'

After Ino was done, Yugao came over to them and Naruto thought, '34D – 24 – 32.' Yugao was wearing a two toned purple and blue one piece with a deep plunging neckline down towards her navel point. It was held together by crisscrossing strands of thread. The swimsuit ended in a high cut bottom, showing her legs and thighs in all of their glory. Some male teachers were bold enough to ask her for a cup of coffee, but she reminded herself of her mission and politely declined, saying that she was in a relationship. Ino, Sakura and Tenten's ears perked up at this and Yugao looked at them uncomfortably. They smirked at her and she thought, 'I'm so dead.'

"Come on guys, let's hit the water!" Naruto shouted and the others agreed. Shikamaru declined, saying, "I'm just gonna lie down here, looking at the clouds, thank you." He then whispered to them, "That way, I can observe Narumi-san and protect her if she's in any danger." Everyone agreed to his intelligent plan and went out into the water. Everyone splashed water at each other and enjoyed the time until evening came and it became cold out. Naruto gave Ino his towel to wrap around her, and she said, shivering slightly, "Thanks Naruto."

Hinata sighed. She had tried to get Naruto to notice her the entire time. But apart from a brief time when he had splashed her, he had seemed to be with Ino the entire time. As she thought about it, a sudden thought took control of her and she paled. She thought, 'I can't let **that** happen!'

Meanwhile, even Sakura was thinking along the same lines. 'Naruto seems to have gotten awfully close to Ino. What's up with him?' Everyone trooped in for dinner and Narumi joined them again. Iruka spoke, "No offense, Narumi-san, but shouldn't you be sitting with you own school students?" She shook her head, saying, "This is not only an expedition to watch the meteor shower. We're supposed to be making friends with other school children as well."

Everyone nodded. Narumi continued, "So what do you want to do after school, Tenten?" Tenten looked up at her and said, "I'm going to take over the family dojo, remember?" Narumi said, "Oh yeah, you had mentioned it before, sorry. What about you, Choji?" Choji looked at Iruka, who nodded. "I'm going to start a restaurant," he said, to which she nodded, saying, "I can see that… because you handled all the spices and condiments extremely well right now."

She looked at Hinata, who said, "My family wants to me to settle down into an arranged marriage. But I know for sure that I do not want that right now." Narumi nodded, sighing and said, "I know how that feels. To have your life planned out for you, not allowing you to live outside of it." She looked at Shikamaru, who said lazily, "I'll probably just take over the family ranch." She nodded at him, not expecting anything different, considering his attitude. She turned to Ino and asked, "Are you going to be a model like your mother?" Ino started to say, "No, I…" before glaring at her and saying, "How did you know that my mother was a model?" Narumi snorted and said, "Even with the different hair color and eyes, you have the same face cut, straight nose and lips. Mitsuri could have been the top model in the world, until she mysteriously disappeared twenty years ago."

Ino nodded, her glare disappearing and said, "My mother fell in love with my dad when he was on a mission to the Land of Water where she was at a photo-shoot. She came back with him. After that, she continued to do some modelling on a small scale in our country, but after she got pregnant and had me, she stopped it and started a flower shop. I do think she misses it sometimes, though. But no, I don't want to be a model. I think I'll take over the family business, like Shikamaru."

Narumi looked at Sakura who said, "I've already started studying to become a doctor." Narumi looked surprised and impressed, and said, "Wow! You must be so intelligent!" Sakura blushed slightly at the praise and replied, "Thank you, Narumi-san." Finally, Narumi looked towards Naruto, who as usual began rambling, "My dream is to be the next Ho…" before he trailed off, slumping a little bit. He then sat straight back up, saying, "Uhh, to be the next honorable person to continue my family profession." Narumi narrowed her eyes, and then guessed that nothing was wrong. Luckily she didn't happen to look at Ino, who had suddenly slumped backwards, unconscious.

"Whew! That was a close one!" thought Ino, as she looked at Narumi through Naruto's eyes. Narumi asked, "And what is your family profession?" Ino replied, using Naruto's vocal cords, "My father and grandfather used to write books. I want to continue their legacy." Narumi nodded and looked away from him. Just then, Ino released her Mind Transfer jutsu and went back into her body, before snapping back to attention as Narumi said, "You okay, Ino? You look tired, slumping onto your chair like that."

Ino replied, faking a yawn, "I'm just a bit tired, that's all." Her fake yawn set off a reflex which everyone got caught into, except Naruto, who was suddenly wide awake after having his mind's control taken away from him. Narumi said, "It's been fun talking, guys. I guess it's time to hit the bed. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

She went off towards her own class, looking back at Naruto once, before leaving the dining hall. Everyone congratulated Ino and clobbered Naruto for almost giving them away. As he tried to get up from the ground, clutching his ribs from the punch that Sakura had put through them, Ino said, "We better keep a look out outside Narumi-san's room. We don't want to take any chance, do we?"

Iruka and Yugao nodded at her thoughtfulness and said, "We will keep watch in shifts. First off, I'll keep a watch, after that Yugao, then Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto, Ino, Sakura and finally Tenten. Everyone will keep watch for an hour before being relieved by the next person. Got it?" Everyone nodded and then went to their respective rooms.

Naruto moved through the rooms, heading towards Narumi's room. He relieved Choji and stood watch outside. He opened her door once to make sure that everything was okay and paled as the outside light fell onto Narumi's face. He quickly shut the door, hoping that she hadn't woken up. But he was wrong. Narumi's door suddenly opened and he felt himself being yanked inside.

He stared through the darkness until Narumi reached out and put the light on. She stared at him and then said with a hint of seduction, "I've wanted to be with you alone for quite some time now, Naruto-kun. Looks like I finally have my chance. How would you like to marry me?" He stared at her, bewildered. He stepped back from her and said, "What do you mean, Narumi-san? I was just going to get a drink of water."

"I've been awake all this time, Naruto-kun. I know that you are a ninja. I know that your dream is to be Hokage." Naruto paled, thinking fast, "What? How could she know? Gotta think of something fast!" He said quickly, "Huh? What are you talking about, Narumi-san? Me, a ninja?" He laughed nervously and then his laughter faded away as she came closer to him, sliding her right index finger across his chest and tracing his abs over his clothes.

"I'm not a total idiot, you know, Naruto. My father has taken an interest in your abilities and requested all your mission reports over these few years. Recently, I began borrowing some of them as well. I must say, you are quite exceptionally talented." Narumi said. His eyes widened. She continued, "You want to be Hokage, right? I can easily make that wish come true. My father already has approved of you. All it will take is my word, and you can be the next Hokage at the drop of a hat. All I want is for you to be my consort, when I step up and take my father's place as Daimyo."

He looked at her and said, "What's a consort?" She almost fell through the floor at his dense attitude. "A Daimyo's spouse, Naruto!" she said, almost exasperated, before she remembered that she was trying to seduce him. He looked at her, even more bewildered, and tried to get away from her. But she held on to him and said, "Think about it. The Hokage and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire being in a relationship. We would have literally no opposition. Think of how powerful our children would be!" Naruto blushed at the proposition while she continued seductively, cutting him off, "In fact, there's no reason to wait for practicing."

He blushed even more and put his hands over his pants as she slowly started sliding her nightgown around her shoulders. He stared at her as she guided her hands towards her not insubstantial bosom. He was in a trance; he stretched his hands out, his mind totally overpowered by his instincts. He was an inches' length away when he suddenly saw a flash in front of his eyes.

Green eyes, looking at him happily; green eyes, tears streaming down them; green eyes, looking at him, hurt and angry. He shook her hand off of his and said, "What am I thinking? If your father finds out about this, I'm dead for sure!" Narumi sighed, pulling her nightgown back over her shoulders. She said, "Honestly, I didn't expect you to go this far."

"But I'm serious, Naruto. I would really like to marry you, be your partner," Narumi continued. Naruto said, "How can you be serious? You don't know almost anything about me!" Narumi shook her head, "I know everything about you. Like I said, I started borrowing Father's files of your records. I know that you have the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside you. I know that you are kind and brave, and strong. I know that you have been tormented almost half of your life. But I still want you, Naruto. I am quite serious."

Naruto was stunned. She wanted him although she knew that the Kyuubi was sealed inside him? This girl was crazy! He said, "I am sorry. I really am. But I'm not sure that I like you so much that I would like to marry you."

Narumi looked hurt and offended. He added hastily, "Not that you aren't beautiful or anything like that. You are stunning and would probably get any guy you want. But I don't think that you love me. I may be just a crush that you have, but because of your sheltered life, you feel that it is true love."

"And anyway," he continued, a little loudly, over her voice, "I've already given my heart to someone else." Narumi's eyes, which were looking down at her feet, shot up in surprise and amazement. "Who is it?" she asked. He said, "Ino Yamanaka."

Outside the door, Ino's heart stopped. Tears silently flowed down her cheeks as her mind replayed Naruto's words. She found herself remembering each and every moment of her life she had spent with Naruto, him laughing, sulking, yelling, playing tricks, lying unconscious in the hospital and staring googly-eyed at her. She had only one thought in her mind, "He loves me! He loves me **too**!"

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay, guys. I'm really mad at my ISP, coz I've been experiencing internet connectivity loss for the past 48 hours now. I am at my cousin's house so I decided to immediately update my story, so as to keep you guys happy. Please review and as usual, Happy Reading!


	12. Chapter 12:The Threat To The Princess

**Chapter 12: The Threat to the Princess**

Naruto picked up the protesting Narumi and put her back into the bed. He pulled up her bedcovers and covered her up to her neck. He then silently apologized with his eyes, and came back out of the room. As he left, Narumi stared at his receding body in a thoughtful gaze. Naruto came out of his room and saw Ino standing there staring at him. She had wiped her cheeks and betrayed no emotions that she had overheard their conversation.

Naruto looked at her, surprised and a little scared, "What are you doing here, Ino?" he asked, while thinking, "If she heard what I said in there, I'm so dead." Ino simply said, "My time to take a watch." He looked at his wristwatch and realized that his one hour was up. He looked back at her sheepishly and said, "Sorry, I forgot."

Ino looked back at him and asked lightly, "What were you doing inside the room, Naruto? You are supposed to be guarding her, not getting cozy with her." She blushed slightly as she said it, thinking about him getting cozy with her. Naruto turned as red as a beetroot and said, "It's not like that, Ino! She just uhh, woke up and saw me outside, so she called me in to see what happened!"

Ino chuckled, thinking, "He's still got a ways to go before he can lie to my face." Naruto looked at her nervously and she almost kissed him before she caught herself. 'I can't, not right now. He may not be ready. And I don't want to scare him off by taking sudden steps. But he's looking so cute!' Naruto said, "Umm, Ino? Are you there?"

She suddenly broke out of her trance, and looked at him. He was still looking at her nervously, and Ino suddenly wanted to giggle a lot. But the mentalist ninja controlled her emotions and said, "You better go to sleep, Naruto. We have a long day of surfing and swimming ahead of us tomorrow."

Naruto nodded, still unsure whether she had overheard anything. He went back to his room, still looking back at her a bit, while she carefully controlled herself. As soon as he was out of her sight of vision, she slumped against the wall, sighing with joy again. Just then, the door opened and Narumi came back out. Ino stared at her, and Narumi gave her a look over before saying, "You're the luckiest girl I have ever met. Take care of him or I'll take him away right in front of your eyes," she threatened, but with a small hint of sadness in her face.

Ino suddenly hugged Narumi. The princess was so amazed by this sudden action that she just let the feelings ride. Ino looked at her and said, "You could have gotten him to do what you wanted today. You stopped immediately after he showed restraint. Thank you very much." Narumi shook her head, "As he went out of my room, I thought about it a little and realized that what he said was right. He is no doubt just a crush. **And **I have been living a sheltered life, so I just saw a chance to break out of it and took it head on. I'll probably get over him in a few days."

"And as for my stopping… I think I probably didn't have enough commitment to the crush as well. As soon as he showed the slightest bit of restraint, I felt embarrassed at what I had done," she continued. Ino slightly nodded and Narumi sighed. "I'm sorry for what I did right now, Ino. I hope you have it in your heart to forgive me." Ino shook her head and Narumi stared at her in astonishment. Then Ino said firmly, "You don't owe me an apology. You have every right to flirt with any guy you like. It's not like Naruto and I are in a relationship right now. If we were, then I would have accepted your apology."

"Now go back to sleep, Narumi. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Narumi nodded and went back into her room. Ino sighed in contentment and thought, "Now, how do I get him to express his feelings for me?"

The next two days went as normal as anyone could hope for. Naruto enjoyed surfing so much that he would be on the surfboard for at least six hours. Narumi also enjoyed with her new friends, and Ino caught her staring wistfully at Naruto only a few times. The rest of the group had no idea what had happened and were enjoying themselves.

Naruto came back from the sea, panting, "Whoo! That never gets old!" Everyone was currently resting because the sun had just reached its zenith. They all smiled at him. Just then a big guy came up to Narumi. He was quite well built, but his face was far from handsome. He said, "Want me to keep you company, sweetie?" Narumi looked at him, disgusted, and said, "No thanks."

He caught her arm and said, "Look girl, on this beach, you'd be lucky to rate in the top ten. I'm doing you a favor. Now how about you please me now and I'll give you a nice gift tonight!" He leered at her. "Let me GO!" Narumi yelled and Naruto looked at her, caught in the arm of the guy. He stalked off towards the man and said, "Put her down, big guy, or you're gonna be sorry." The man said, "Beat it, kid. You're not even worth fighting for this girl."

Naruto caught his arm and pulled him into a rotating whirl. Like a trained judo fighter, he put his opponent down into the sand and walked off with Narumi. The rest of them grouped up with him, and Iruka said, "I'm proud of you, Naruto." Sakura whispered fiercely, "**Proud** of him? Naruto just used TaiJutsu on that guy!"

Iruka snorted, "If Naruto thought that was TaiJutsu, I'd bust him back to the academy." Tenten nodded, saying, "His form was terrible, and like an amateur, he put the guy down into the sand instead of releasing him at the apex." Naruto looked at her with a mix of annoyance and satisfaction. "Thanks, I guess?" he said. Everyone laughed, and continued their activities.

Naruto said, "Come on guys, let's build a big sand castle!" Sakura snorted, saying, "What are you, five?" He stopped smiling, glared at her and said shortly, "I never got to be five." Everyone stopped laughing and looked at him sympathetically. Then Shikamaru and Ino went up to Naruto and said, "We'll help you make a huge sand castle." He smiled at them and sat down. They sat next to him and began to gather sand. As he looked at the heap of sand, Naruto said, "I bet Gaara could build a sand castle in seconds."

Shikamaru chuckled, and Ino smiled, thinking of how Gaara would look, building a sand castle. As they were building the walls of the castle, Narumi joined them. She said, "Can I help?" Naruto looked at her and stammered, "Well… If you wa…want to." and Narumi sat, piling a bit of sand around her. Then she said in a nonchalant tone, "Forget that thing we talked about yesterday, it was a mistake on my part." Shikamaru looked at them curiously, but Ino said, "I'm parched. Can you get me something to drink, Shika?" He got up, muttering, "Troublesome blondes."

Narumi spoke again, "I am sorry for what I did yesterday, Naruto. I hope that you can forget it and we can be friends again." Naruto loosened up and nodded. They carefully piled sand on the walls and Ino used a little chakra to smoothen the walls of the castle. Naruto stared at her and then whispered to her when Narumi wasn't looking, "What are you doing, Ino? We aren't supposed to use chakra here!" Ino smiled, saying, "Narumi woke up when I was standing watch and realized that I am a ninja. So it doesn't really matter now, at least for the two of us."

Naruto mulled over the thought and then slowly used a little chakra to smoothen his side of the walls too. Just then Shikamaru came back and both of them stopped using chakra. Shikamaru handed Ino the drink and they sat together until lunch time, carefully creating a huge structure.

"Well, what happened?" said a cold voice. The big guy who had grabbed Narumi turned to him and said, "Some guy interrupted me. I would have fought him but there were too many people around. If he weren't there, I could have taken her."

"Ninja?" the cold voice asked. The brute shook his head, "Some amateur. Looked like he had taken a few judo lessons, that's all."

"Well, anyway, we will have to go for plan B," the cold voice said even more coldly. The brute nodded, satisfaction showing on his face.

Naruto sat drinking his water and looked over at Ino who was playing in the water along with Sakura. He felt strange. He had said that he had given her his heart, and sure enough, he felt so happy when she was near him, and sad when she departed. But he wasn't sure. He couldn't tell whether was love or just a crush, like he had before on Sakura. He thought, 'How does a person tell if he's in love or not?' He decided to ask Iruka, who was lying down next to him.

"Hey Iruka sensei, have you ever been in love with anyone?" Naruto asked. Grunt. Iruka snorted in his sleep. Naruto shook him awake and repeated the question. Iruka looked at him sleepy eyed, and said, "Huh?" Naruto shook his head disappointedly and went back to looking at Ino.

On the last day of the trip, everyone gathered around the beach and sat in small groups. Narumi approached the ninjas and asked, "Iruka sensei, can I join you guys?" Iruka replied, "Are you sure? You should be with your school for this event." She said, "Nah, they're not so interested in the meteors as they are at goggling at other people."

Iruka said, "Well then, you are welcome to join us." She sat next to Naruto and Ino, and said, "Can you help me with some poetry, Naruto?" with a smirk on her face. Naruto said, "Me?" nervously, while Ino and Sakura stuffed their fists in their mouth to stop laughing. Narumi nodded, smirking again, as she said, "You wanted to be a writer, didn't you?" He started sweating bullets even in the cold atmosphere outside.

"Well, ok, I guess…" he said, looking for moral support at the others. Iruka looked at his pleading eyes and said, "Naruto, I expect to see your poetry too." He glared at Iruka sensei, before muttering, "Ok, then." Everyone burst out laughing, including Narumi, and he realized that they were just making fun of him.

He looked at Ino, with a hurt look in his eyes, "You too, Ino?" Seeing his expression, Ino immediately felt bad and said, "Sorry, Naruto." He stalked off in anger, and she looked at the others, suddenly feeling very bad. Everyone looked back at her, **most** of them hinting at her, 'Go after him.'

Ino found him looking off into the night sky, sitting by himself amidst the rocks nearby the end of the beach. She smiled; he looked so cute, sitting there, just waiting to be comforted. He looked at her as she approached him. She smiled slightly at him and he turned away from her, pouting. She caught his hand and he pulled it away. "Why the long face, Naruto-kun?" Ino asked. Naruto didn't look at her, for a reason different than what she had thought. He was blushing so hard that the heat from his face could have fried an egg. 'She just called me Naruto-**kun**!'

Ino said, "I'm sorry I laughed at you, Naruto-kun." Naruto turned back and she saw him smiling. "I know, Ino-chan," he replied. Ino gasped and then blushed as realization dawned upon her. He had been acting all this time. Naruto said slowly, "I just wanted to watch the meteors with you. Do you want to?" Ino nodded. As the two of them watched the meteor shower raining down on Earth, Ino held his hand again, and this time, he didn't pull it away. Ino put her head on his shoulder in contentment, and he blushed moderately again, thinking, 'This is definitely not a crush anymore. I really love Ino-chan. And judging from her actions, she likes me too.'

He looked down at her and cupped her face. Ino looked up at him expectantly and he asked, "Do you like me, Ino-chan?" She looked at him in incredulous amazement for a second, and then replied tartly, "No, baka, I'm putting my head on your shoulder because I hate you." He blinked, before realizing how stupid that question had sounded, even for him. He said, "Then I'll take that as an affirmative." She shook her head violently and said, "No, Naruto-kun, I really don't like you."

He looked at her in shock and she continued, "I love you, Naruto. I have been in love with you for quite some time now. Do you know how difficult it is to hide the fact that you love someone, when he's standing right in front of you?" Naruto smiled and said, "I do, Ino-chan. I do." Her eyes shot up at him and he said, "You heard everything that night, didn't you? The night Narumi-san tried to… umm, tried to…" Ino giggled in spite of herself and said, "Yes, I heard everything. And you know what? I never felt so happy in my life as I did when I heard it." He turned faintly red with embarrassment, saying, "Then why didn't you say anything that night, Ino-chan?" She replied, "I wanted you to say it to me face to face, Naruto. Just like I did, right now."

Naruto leaned in towards her until they were nose-to-nose and said, "I love you, Ino-chan. I love you more than I love my life." She sighed happily and pulled him closer, until their lips met. As they kissed, the moon shined on them and the meteors continued raining down, creating a wonderful background.

Just then, a huge explosion at the hotel caused the two of them to break apart from each other. They looked at each other and nodded firmly. Ino said, "Romance will have to wait, Naruto-kun, we have a mission." Naruto nodded, but couldn't help smile at the kiss they had just shared. Both of them were in their civilian clothes, which had only one hidden pocket for keeping a single holdout kunai. They drew it out and both of them started over to the hotel.

As they reached the perimeter of the hotel, they saw a few people armed with bows and kunai standing outside. Naruto said, "We don't know anything about these guys. I'll have to do some recon." Ino nodded and said, "I can help, Naruto." He looked at her and she smiled, pointing to her head. He smirked and then said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Six clones appeared and then put their hands together, intoning, "Transform!" before turning into six little mice.

Meanwhile, Ino put her hands together and said, "Mind Transfer Jutsu!" and pointed to the guy nearest to them. As he lost control of his mind, Ino's body slumped and Naruto caught her and carefully laid her down. As Ino, in the guard's body, started walking towards them, one of the other guys said, "Hey! Where're you going?" Ino turned towards him and spoke in the man's voice, "Gotta go take a leak." The other guy nodded and turned away. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ino came to the real Naruto and said, "Put the shadow clones into my pocket."

Naruto nodded, and lifted all the transformed clones, putting them into the various pockets in the pants of the guy who's mind Ino had overpowered. Ino walked back and went into the hotel from a side entrance before anyone could notice her. She looked around all the rooms as she went, and left a mouse/clone into each of the rooms with hostages or guards. As a single clone remained, he turned back into himself and split off even more clones, sacrificing himself to create more of them.

Ino reached the dining room, and one of the guys stepped up towards her and said, "Anything to report?" Ino delved into the mind of the guy who she was impersonating, and finding nothing strange, said, "Nothing, just walked around to see if anyone was acting up." The man who had approached her said, "Then get back to your position soon, the boss is gonna be here soon." Ino scanned the room and saw all her allies sitting with Narumi at one end. She left another of the mice there and returned back to duty.

As she left the man's body, Ino erased his mind of what it had recorded until then, so that the man just went back to duty. She looked up at him, who was crouched next to her original body, and said, "There were approximately 40 of them. I have left your clones in each room, to make sure that they keep a watch on the men. Our friends are all in the dining room, along with Narumi." Naruto said, "In that case, we'll have to go stealth mode, to take them down. Sadly, stealth is not my strong suit. But we have to try."

The two of them snuck into the hotel, Ino leading, remembering the route from her previous recon. Just then, Naruto held her back, and said, "One of my clones just disappeared. Two guys are moving out a room into the corridor between the dining room and the main hall." Ino nodded, saying, "I know the place. It's three corridors from here."

They slowly crept up towards the dining room, clearing the rooms with guards and hostages as they did. Mostly, each room contained two guards, so they were easily overpowered by the two ninja. However, one room had contained four guards, and they had been alerted when two of them suddenly dropped dead. But before they could raise the alarm, the mouse behind him suddenly transformed back into Naruto's clone and choked both of them from behind, giving the original Naruto and Ino the chance to drop them dead. The clone saluted Naruto and cancelled himself out.

Finally, they reached near the dining room and sketched a plan. They had taken all the weapons they could, from the guards they had eliminated. Naruto's clones had all cancelled themselves by this point, so he didn't know exactly how many people were there in the dining room. They couldn't risk a single hostage. After all, their friends were there too, along with the daughter of the Daimyo. Ino said, "I'll sneak in and Mind Transfer into one of them again. Then I'll simply count how many of them are there and we can plan accordingly."

Naruto shook his head and said, "If you go in there, your body will be at risk while you are in your Mind Transfer status. I won't let you risk yourself. I'll split some more clones and they can find out the strength of the enemies." Ino nodded, smiling at her love's determination not to risk her. Naruto split off another two clones, who transformed into mice and scurried through the corridor into the dining room. A couple of seconds later, they cancelled themselves.

Naruto said, "Six guys inside the room, three of them outside the dining room on the side of the main hall. One of my clones picked up a snippet of talk from one of the enemies, saying, 'The boss is gonna be here in a couple of minutes now.' We have to go in, no matter what. We'll bust straight in with ten of my clones, and while my clones keep them occupied, you and I can free our team-mates." Ino nodded, and Naruto signed again, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Twelve clones made their way into the room and Ino said, "I thought you said ten clones, Naruto." Naruto shrugged, saying, "Grandma Tsunade keeps telling me to work on my chakra control." Ino facepalmed. The clones waited for his signal and armed themselves with the weapons that he and Ino had scavenged. On Naruto's signal, they rushed into the dining room.

Three of the enemies fell even as they shouted out. The rest of the three yelled out and the three outside the room charged in. Meanwhile, Naruto and Ino freed their fellow ninja and gave them some kunai as well. Just as the last clone was dispelled, the real Naruto charged and killed two of the enemies by himself. Shikamaru trapped the last four ninjas with his Shadow Possession Jutsu, and Sakura punched the lights out of one of them. Choji bowled into another, who had been tormenting him by calling him fat all the time. Tenten and Yugao dealt with another one, while Iruka smashed the wrist bone of the fourth guy with his staff blade. All of the enemies fell, and the ninjas looked at each other, nodding, before securing all the hostages and evacuating them from the dining room. Just as they were about to split off to look for other enemies, a cold voice emerged and said, "Well, well. What do we have here?"

They turned around and saw a ninja standing at the hall entrance with fifteen people behind them. He said, "You must be Leaf ninja. I had expected that the Hokage would interfere with this trip of Princess Narumi, but I didn't expect so many of you. I guess this means that you are not going to let us take Princess Narumi with us, are you?" The ninjas almost fell through the floor in incredulous amazement. He just expected them to hand over the daughter of their Daimyo to him? Naruto voice everyone's opinion, saying loudly and quite rudely, "Just who the hell are you?"

The man smiled, a cold smile, not reaching his eyes and said, "I am Ibumaru, the coldest of all the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist." Everyone gasped at that. Ibumaru was considered an S-Rank criminal, having tried to assassinate the Third Mizukage, and having taken the legendary sword Souhi, away from its previous holder forcibly, before leaving the village.

"Everyone be careful," Iruka said, "His sword is said to be so cold that anyone who even goes near it gets serious frostbite. And anyone who is unfortunate to touch it dies on the spot." Everyone gasped at that, except Naruto, who said, "No need to worry, we have enough long range fighters here who can get rid of him." Everyone felt the courage in his voice and nodded.

Ibumaru simply smiled wickedly and said, "My fellow people, it seems that the Leaf ninja do not wish for us to get our hands on Princess Narumi. If you would be so kind as to kill them for me, then you will all get the rewards that you have been waiting for all this time." Everyone behind him nodded, or grunted, or both, and charged at the Leaf ninjas. Naruto recognized one of them as the guy who had tried to kidnap Narumi on the beach and smirked, "Remember me?"

The guy said, "I'm gonna crush you, you little worm. I am Master Ibumaru's strongest apprentice." Naruto replied, "Oh yeah? Crush this! RASENGAN!" He yelled, and thrust the spiraling sphere straight into the guy's body, who coughed up blood before being thrown into three other of his comrades. The battle began in earnest and the bandits were quickly overpowered by the Leaf ninjas. They looked up at Ibumaru, who pulled out his sword and mocked them. But as they began to gather closer to him, he suddenly threw his sword down, and got down to his knees. Everyone stared at him incredulously, expecting a trap, but he said, "Forgive me. I'm not really Ibumaru of the Seven Swordsmen. I am simply a bandit who shares his name. I just wanted to make some quick cash and decided to kidnap Princess Narumi to facilitate it. I didn't expect that the Hokage would come to know of my plans and send out such a huge force to stop me. I apologize!" Naruto picked up his sword and said, "Look at how chipped and rusty this sword is."

Iruka cuffed the rogue Ibumaru while Yugao checked the sword to see if it really was a dud. She decided it was, and said, "Naruto, if you would be so kind and destroy it with your Rasengan?" Naruto nodded and created one of the spheres with his left hand and another one with his right hand. He intoned, "Rasenrengan!"

The two spheres struck the sword at opposite ends and began grounding away the metal from both sides, until they met in the middle and burst. Naruto turned towards the rest of his friends and said, "Well, that's that dealt with. What do we do with him?" The fake Ibumaru said, "Please take me with you! I'll do anything for your village! Just don't turn me back to the Mist village." Yugao said, "I'm sorry. We cannot do that, because an attempt to kidnap the daughter of the Daimyo of our country is grounds for execution."

Ibumaru blanched, and Iruka dragged him outside the hotel. Soon, everyone in the dining room heard the familiar sound of steel striking flesh and knew that the deed was done. Narumi came towards the dining room and asked, "Is it over?" They nodded and she heaved a sigh of relief.

The next day, the bus which came to pick up Narumi contained ten bodyguards in it. They didn't even allow her to change out of her bikini before throwing a towel over her body and escorting her into the bus. Naruto spotted Hawk and Tiger, two of the ANBU of their village, and Kakashi sensei's friends. He nodded to them and they nodded back, having met each other while Naruto had been house hunting. The two ANBU climbed the top of the bus, and it rumbled off.

Naruto sighed, saying, "Well, all's well that ends well. I enjoyed this trip more than I thought I would." He looked at Ino slightly as he said it, and she smiled happily. All in all, it had turned out rather well for her, she thought, as she looked back at the love of her life, now completing his sand castle with a small amount of sharpened wind chakra in his hand. She sat next to him and helped him along. Both of them missed the frowns on Sakura's and Hinata's faces.

Iruka brought out their bus and the gang of ninjas trooped back in, happy that their trip was finally over, and that they could get back to normal duty soon. They went off, laughing and chatting, and in someone's case, sitting shyly in one corner, blushing and stuttering.


	13. Chapter 13:Who Has the Strongest Eyes?

**Chapter 13: Who has the Strongest Eyes of them All?**

"Lady Tsunade!" Naruto rushed over to the Fifth Hokage's office. Behind him came two ninjas running, panting, "I'm sorry, Milady, he just wouldn't stop…" The Sannin raised her hand and said, "It's okay, you may leave." Both of them bowed and left the room. "What is it, knucklehead?" Tsunade asked. Naruto pulled out a flyer from his pocket and showed it to her.

"International Dojutsu Tournament?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed. Naruto nodded, saying, "Sasuke will definitely be there." Just then Tenten burst inside the office as well. Tsunade started angrily, "What is the meaning of this, Ten…" before Tenten cut across her, "Neji has gone AWOL." Tsunade stared at her incredulously before she strode back to her chair, sat down and demanded, "Explain."

Tenten continued, "I was scheduled to meet Neji at Training Ground 3 today morning at 9AM. But he didn't reach there. So I decided to go to the Hyuga manor to see if he was alright. But the guards there said that he had left the manor at 7AM in the morning. So I asked around nearby and one man told me that he had seen Neji near the village gates. I asked Raido where Neji had gone and he said that he had a scroll in his hand with the Hokage's signature, bearing some mission details. So I ran here immediately, because I know he wasn't scheduled for any missions. Unless you gave him an urgent mission today?"

Tsunade frowned, and said, "I didn't. This means that Neji is indeed AWOL. But I may have a clue why. Naruto here just gave me a flyer which is for an International Dojutsu tournament. I think Neji has left the village to attend this tournament. We must get him back, no matter what!" She banged her hand down on the desk and caused a deep crack to erupt across it. She calmed down slightly, thinking 'I don't need another lecture from Shizune about how costly furniture is.'

"Tenten, go and find Ino and Shikamaru. Also, call in Sakura and Lee as well. I'm going to send the six of you to bring Neji back. Go now." The Sannin said, and Tenten shot off at a speed which would have impressed Lee. The Hokage looked at Naruto and said, "What makes you think that Sasuke will be there, knucklehead?"

Naruto smirked; knowing that she would ask, he had his answer ready. He said, "Sasuke has always wanted to prove that he is the strongest ninja around. Also, he will want to go because he knows that Itachi would go, because I would go, because he would go." Tsunade stared at him, saying, "So he will go for the tournament because he will go? That's circular logic, Naruto!"

"Huh?" Naruto said, and she continued, "Since each of you will go because the other will go, there is neither a beginning, nor an end, which renders your point moot." He shook his head, saying, "That doesn't matter. I just know that he will be going, and I want to go after him and bring him back. After all, I promised Sakura that I would bring him back, no matter what happens."

Tsunade narrowly avoided banging her fist on the desk again. She looked at him with a dark expression on her face and he shuddered. She said, "You are going on a mission to bring Neji back right now. If I hear from the others that you tried to bring Sasuke back, I'll have you decommissioned. Is that understood?" Naruto nodded, sliding away from her as she continued to glare at him with that scary expression. Just then, Ino and Shikamaru entered the room, with Sakura, Lee and Tenten behind them.

"Shikamaru, I trust you have been briefed by Tenten?" The Hokage asked. He nodded, and she said, "Then I'm putting you in charge of this mission. Bring Neji back as soon as possible." He nodded again and said, "With all due respect, it seems that Neji went AWOL. I don't think it will be possible to bring him back without force. What should we do if he does not come back willingly?"

Tsunade said, "This is why I'm sending such a substantial force to bring him back. I know that he will probably not listen to reason. Is that is the case, I want you to bring him back by force, but try not to injure him too much. Probably just hold him long enough for Ino to subdue his mind." Shikamaru nodded and said, "Let's move out."

"Hold on, Shikamaru," the Sannin said. She waited for the rest of them to leave and said, "Naruto believes that Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha will also try to enter the tournament. I want absolutely nothing to do with those two right now. So if you are spotted by them, retreat immediately, unless you are in a position to capture Sasuke. But avoid Itachi at all costs. Is that understood?" He said, "Crystal clear, Milady."

She said, "And make sure to reign in Naruto. He is too close to this mission to act with reason. Is he spots Sasuke, he will no doubt ignore your actions. So make sure to restrain him as well, if he does not listen to you."

Shikamaru said, "Understood." Then he left the office. Tsunade called a number and an ANBU member was in her office a few minutes later. She said, "Be a dear and fix my table for me, please?" Yamato sighed. Then she called up two other people in a conference call and said, "I want you to go to this International Dojutsu tournament and see what turns up." The two of them agreed and hung up. She sat back and sighed. Yamato said, "All done. Anything else?" She said, "No, that will be all. I don't know what I would do without your Wood Style, Yamato."

He saluted and vanished. Tsunade frowned, thinking, "I hope Naruto does not disobey orders. I sent him to reinforce the others to take Neji down. And he may as well be able to talk Neji out of this. But if they meet Sasuke? What then? Dammit!"

The six of them jumped through the trees until they reached a small spot in the woods. Then Shikamaru stopped and said, "Alright. Now we need to decide how to reach Neji fast. There are five different paths towards the village where the tournament is being held. And Neji already has got a big lead on us. Also, a group is generally slower than an individual. What do we do in such a situation?"

Sakura said, "I may have a way." Everyone looked at her and she said, "I have a Summoning Contract which could be useful here." Everyone looked at her, surprised, and she explained, "I asked Kakashi sensei to teach me the Summoning Jutsu and got a contract with his ninja hounds." Naruto said, "Wow! Good for you, Sakura!" She smiled, "Thanks, Naruto."

Sakura bloodied her left index finger with a kunai and spread the blood onto her other fingers. She said, "I, Inu, Tori, Saru, Hitsuji! Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!" She slammed her hand into the ground and cracked it slightly. A cloud of smoke rose up and revealed hazy three forms. As the smoke parted, they could see Pakkun along with two other hounds, Uhei, an orange dog, and Akino, a yellow hound wearing sunglasses.

"Hey Pakkun, hey guys," Sakura said, "I need your help. We are on a mission to find Neji Hyuga and require you to smell his scent and lead us to his path. Can you help us?" Pakkun nodded and said, "Of course I can. We have the best noses out of the Inuzuka clan. Give me a minute."

Sakura nodded. He turned around and barked a few times. The other hounds spread out, searching and a couple of minutes later, Akino barked. Pakkun went up to him and confirmed the smell. "He went this way," Pakkun said. It was the fourth path, and the most difficult one. Sakura thanked him and the other hounds for their help and dismissed them.

The team resumed their run and followed the path until a kunai struck Naruto in the left bicep. He pulled it out and looked at where it had come from, even as his wound started closing. He saw that he had triggered a trap and that the kunai had been released from there. He said, "Looks like Neji set up traps." Everyone's expressions hardened and Tenten looked at the weapon. She said, "No. This is not Neji's."

Everyone stared at her and she explained, "Neji only uses weapons which I have given him. And I mark each and every weapon which I buy with a small seal which only I can remove. It is mostly used to find my weapons, so I don't need to buy them all over again. And if they are damaged, I remove the seal and give them to be recycled. There is no seal on this. It cannot be his." They nodded, their expressions relaxing. They continued along the path until sundown, when they stopped to take a break for the night. Naruto and Tenten wanted to continue but Shikamaru said, "Neji will not travel through the night. He will want to conserve his strength for the tournament. And it is not wise to move through the night, when our visibility will be limited."

They set up camp in a small clearing, and Ino and Sakura went to find water. Ino said, "Hey Naruto, can you lend us a couple of Shadow Clones? It will make searching much easier." Naruto immediately split off three Shadow Clones, before sheepishly saying, "Ask for two, get one free." They laughed slightly, before heading off.

The five of them found a small stream a few meters out from the clearing, and gathered water, before Sakura told the clones to take the bottles back. Ino looked at her curiously, but didn't say anything. The clones jogged off and Sakura turned towards Ino, with a weird look in her eyes. She said, "Ino, is anything going on between you and Naruto?"

Ino looked at her with a straight face and said, "Why would you think such a thing, forehead?" Sakura frowned at the old nickname before saying, "I saw you getting pretty close to him during our beach trip. What's up with you all of a sudden?" Ino said, with a sad expression on her face, "The day when I saw the Kyuubi take control of Naruto's body, I suddenly realized the reason why Naruto had been treated so harshly in his childhood. At that moment, I decided to become Naruto's friend. So that's why I was spending time with him at the beach. I'm pretty sure you know what I mean, having seen the atrocities committed against him yourself."

Sakura nodded, not entirely convinced, but let the matter slide. They walked back to the clearing, Ino thinking back to the conversation they had had, when they reached back home from the beach mission.

_"Ino, I want to talk to you about something." Naruto had said, as they sat to watch some TV. Ino looked at him and asked, "Anything wrong, Naruto-kun?" Naruto nodded, saying, "I don't think we should reveal our relationship to anyone just yet. I feel we should wait it out for a little while." Ino asked, "Anything bothering you, Naruto?" He said, "I just moved in some time back. If we start going out so soon in public, people may talk. Also, I don't want Sakura to know so fast." Ino nodded._

Ino thought, "But forehead has begun noticing. I'll have to talk about this with Naruto." They reached back to the camp, where Shikamaru and Naruto had begun cooking food, while Lee and Tenten were checking their weapons. They all had their food and then turned in, keeping one person out every hour in the order of Shikamaru, Tenten, Naruto, Sakura, Ino and Lee.

Six hours later, all of them were awake, and after a quick wash in the nearby stream, they were back to chasing Neji. They path had started getting rockier, with lesser trees to jump through. However, they managed to cling to the rocks and made their way through to the village where the tournament was to be held. The entire place was like a ghost town, with no one around, anywhere.

Ino said, "I've been here before. This used to be a popular tourist destination some years ago, and was well known for its natural hot springs." Shikamaru asked, "What happened to it, then?" She replied, "An earthquake struck this place and caused something to happen, which left all the hot springs drying. And without their springs, no one could earn money. So people started leaving the place and it eventually became a ghost town."

Naruto froze. "Did…did you say gh…gh…ghost town, Ino?" Everyone looked back at him with incredulous expressions on their faces. Sakura groaned and said, "For the last time, Naruto, there are no such things as ghosts! Ino meant that no one lives in this town anymore." Naruto didn't seem convinced, "Then why is someone organizing a tournament in a godforsaken place like this?" he demanded. Shikamaru replied, "In order to bring money back and re-establish this town."

Everyone nodded and Naruto looked around nervously. Then he seemed to be satisfied and they started walking again. Just then, a quartet of kunai were launched towards them. Lee and Sakura quickly took out two kunai of their own and knocked the incoming kunai out of their paths. They looked at their attackers and Naruto paled.

The attackers were shinobi who were pale grey in colour. They seemed to be wearing uniforms and headbands of various different villages and moved as though they were being guided. Naruto shuddered, "Zombies." Sakura snorted and said, "They are no such things as zombies as well, Naruto. They have got to be puppets. Which means that the puppeteer must be nearby."

Shikamaru nodded and immediately trapped one of the advancing puppet ninjas with his Shadow Possession Jutsu. Ino quickly performed her mind Transfer Jutsu and cried out in pain as she was forced back into her body. Shikamaru looked at her, confused, and she said, "There was a huge force in there, like a demon. It looked at me and then almost bit me in half. I just managed to escape. But in the brief time I saw, there seemed to be no mind of the shinobi whose mind I entered. There were also no chakra strings attached to it. There was only a chakra supply, which was ever diminishing at a very slow rate."

Sakura wondered out loud, "So they are zombies, then? But how can it be?" Naruto froze again, before looking at his foes with a determined gaze. "If there is a demon in the mind which Ino saw, then maybe these shinobi are dead and being possessed by the demon. Shikamaru, capture another shinobi and Ino, enter that one's mind. If you see the same thing, we can confirm whether it is mind control."

Everyone stared at him for a moment, astonished by his thinking, before launching into action. A few seconds later, Ino fell on her butt again, and said, "Yeah, it is definitely a demon presence in there. I could sense it better this time, having already sensed it once. It is controlling the shinobi with its mind. But to control so many at once? I have never heard of such a jutsu before!"

Shikamaru said, "If it is a demon, it probably has this power naturally. But right now, all we can do is fight these puppets off." Everyone nodded, Sakura signing and saying, "Weapon Summoning Jutsu!" Her battle axe fell into her right hand and she readied herself. At the same time, Naruto drew out a kunai, and Ino did the same. Shikamaru kept his hands together and waited for an opportunity to strike. Lee removed his weights from his limbs and assembled them into a quarterstaff, while Tenten removed two scrolls from her belt and held them in each of her hands.

As though they received a sudden signal, all the deceased shinobi ran towards the Leaf Ninja. The six of them braced for the attack. Naruto closed the distance between the first two zombies, with a Rasengan in his right hand and his kunai in his left. Meanwhile, Lee started picking off zombies with his staff. Sakura punched a zombie wearing a star village headband into a group of others who stumbled over and fell.

Naruto used his Rasengan and sent another one spiraling into the group which Sakura had just fell. The zombies paused, before looking at the ninjas and then moving towards them more cautiously. They started planning their moves, not giving the Leaf ninjas any time to react. However, Sakura threw her battle axe and bisected two of the zombies.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto intoned and twenty clones appeared in front of him, already in pairs, and a few seconds later, ten shouts of, "Odama Rasengan!" filled the air. But even more of the deceased corpses started making their way into the battle. Tenten was using her weapons sparingly because they didn't seem to have any effect on the enemies.

The Leaf ninjas were tough, but not unstoppable. After a few more minutes, Shikamaru realized that they were losing. He started formulating a plan, but couldn't come up with anything significantly workable. He looked up to see Sakura take a hit and go down. Naruto leapt in front of her and took a kunai to his right leg in order to protect her. Shikamaru thought, "My Shadow jutsus don't work on them, apart from the Shadow Possession. They aren't alive, so they can't be killed. Our only hope is to finish off the demon controlling them. But where is he?"

As they were being driven back, the six of them looked up at a shadow which had suddenly shown up next to them. They saw Sasuke standing with his sword out. Then Neji leapt out of nowhere and stood next to him. Naruto yelled, "Are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna help out?" They didn't say a word; however, they instantly leaped into the crowd of zombies and started taking them out. But as Sasuke passed Sakura, he lightly tapped her in the head with the hilt of his sword. She stared at him before tipping over. He did the same with Shikamaru, while Neji disabled Ino and Tenten. Lee swung his quarterstaff towards Neji, but the Hyuga dodged it and Sasuke took out Lee from behind.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SASUKE-TEME!" Naruto roared and tried to get to him, but the zombies were fast and he was getting tired. As he turned towards Sasuke, a zombie tackled him and then punched him in the head repeatedly until he fell unconscious.

Naruto woke up, shaking his head groggily. He seemed to be in a house of some sort. He looked around, and realized that he was chained to a chair. He then looked around again, seeing that he was sitting at a table, with everyone chained to similar chairs. The table in front of them was filled with delicious looking food.

Lee groaned as he got up. Naruto said, "Lee! Hey LEE!" Lee looked at him and said, "Naruto! Are you okay?" Naruto nodded, and just then, Tenten and Ino shook their heads as they rubbed the spots where Neji had hit them. Naruto said, "Now only if we could wake Shikamaru and Sakura, we could get out of here." Both of them looked up and sighed. "We ARE awake, you blithering idiot! It's called information gathering, you know? Playing possum?" Sakura said, while Shikamaru nodded lazily.

"Well, it seems that everyone is finally awake," said a smooth voice from the background. Everyone looked around them and Naruto said, "You may as well come out, demon!" Everyone stared at Naruto before hearing footsteps and turning around to see the newcomer.

He was around 8 feet tall, a pale reddish color, and seemingly human, but had three long fingers on each hand, and very pointed long ears, along with a long face. But most importantly, his eyes were white in the center and became red as they went to the corners, where three tomoe were placed. He said, "It was nice of you to come."

Naruto smirked and said, "Nice of you to ask so kindly." The demon smiled at him and said, "Ah. You are bold. I wonder how bold you will be after I'm done with you. How did you know that I'm a demon, boy?" He said, "Ino tried to control one of the zombie's minds and said she got thrown out by a demonic presence." He paused, before saying, "Also, I can smell you."

The demon looked at him in curiosity before saying, "Interesting. Oh well. We might as well get started. So, how famished are you guys?" Everyone stared at him incredulously and he said, "Being immortal is not really a boon, you know. Just doing nothing can be so frustrating that I can't begin to tell you the boredom it brings with itself. So I capture humans, have dinner with them, and discuss the news of the world outside. Before I take their blood and kill them, of course."

He said, "So shall we have dinner?" Naruto suddenly roared, "WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT HERE!" The demon looked faintly surprised at the outburst and said, "It is called being polite. I take it you don't know how to honor a host?" Sakura smiled sweetly at him, saying, "No, he doesn't. He won't know manners if they come and punch him in the face. We'll play by your rules." Everyone turned to look at her incredulously then, but she simply nodded. The demon said, "You seem to be more calm and thoughtful than your friend here. Very well. Sasuke!" He called out.

Sasuke came out from the shadows behind the demon. The demon said, "Will you please open the right hand chains of my guests and let them have dinner?" Sasuke obliged, opening their chains. Naruto immediately got up, trying to free his left hand, but a stare from Sakura made him sit again. He smiled sickly at the demon and said, "What's for eats?"

The demon said, "Everything you see on the table. Let's talk and eat at the same time. You may also try to escape in any way possible. After that, we shall play a game." Everyone looked at the demon as though he was crazy. Suddenly, Naruto felt a growl in his psyche and went to the fox. Kyuubi looked back at him, and growled, "**If only I was free, I would tear that Doraku apart!"**

**Author's Note: **Hey guys, here's another chapter for you. I've had bad luck this entire week because of bad weather in my area. That's why my internet has been going on and off all the time. Sorry for the short chapter, but I'm building up the content for the next chapter. Please review and as usual, Happy Reading!


	14. Chapter 14:Escaping Doraku!

**Chapter 14: Escaping Doraku!**

Naruto looked up at the fox and said, "Doraku? Is that the demon's name, who is outside?" The Kyuubi looked at him and nodded, before saying angrily, "**Get out of here, boy! I don't want to see your face!**" He sent a huge wave of chakra at Naruto, which propelled him out of his psyche and brought him back into the normal world. He looked at everyone else, who had started eating. He started eating too, and was slightly surprised that the food was extremely tasty and delicious.

As they ate, Doraku asked them questions about politics, about their villages and whether there was any conflict outside in the world. After they finished eating, he sighed and said, "Well, it's been fun talking to you guys. I see all of you tried to pick your locks with your forks at one time or the another. Naruto even tried using his spoon. But you have been unable to escape, so I guess that it is time for me to take your blood."

Lee said, "You're a vampire?" Naruto replied, "He's not a vampire. He's a demon that goes by the name of Doraku." The demon looked back at him, greatly surprised and said, "Interesting. And how do you know this?" Naruto ignored him. The demon looked at the rest of them and said, "I am indeed Doraku, a demon of the Blood Taster tribe. Although my tribe may be the source of the human fantasy of vampires."

"I have the ability to absorb the powers of any shinobi or kunoichi simply by taking a few drops of their blood." Naruto nodded and said, "That's how you gained the Byakugan and the Sharingan." The demon agreed, saying, "Very astute. I see that you are quite intelligent." Sakura snorted and Doraku looked back at her, saying, "You think something's funny?" She didn't reply and he took it as her fear for him. Inside, she was silently having a fit of laughter, 'Naruto and intelligent?'

Doraku stood near Lee and then bent over him, putting his mouth to Lee's neck and drawing out a small trickle of blood. He tasted it and then spat it out of his mouth, "Impossible. This boy has nothing but TaiJutsu. His chakra is so stunted that even I cannot access it. He is worthless to me." Lee smirked at him, receiving a back handed slap as a reply. Doraku moved forward to Tenten and took her blood as well. He again spat it out saying, "What is this? Another person with almost no NinJutsu, and needing weapons for the few that she knows? How unbecoming of a ninja!" Tenten glared at him but he had already moved on to Sakura. He took her blood as well and said, "My, my. Such raw power and amazing medical NinJutsu and chakra control as well! What a wonderful discovery for me! Go and stand next to Sasuke." She went and stood next to Sasuke mutely as he went over to Shikamaru. He took some of the lazy ninja's blood and then suddenly stumbled a bit. He looked at the ninja angrily, "How can you be so lazy? I almost fell asleep after I bit you right now! But still, it's not a big loss, considering your Shadow Jutsu abilities. Not bad at all." Shikamaru got up, and stood next to Neji.

Doraku turned and stalked over to Naruto, saying, "Now for the one who already knows me. Let's see what you have to offer." He took some of Naruto's blood and then cringed, "You have a demon inside of you. No wonder you knew who I am. You are as worthless to me as Lee is." Then the Kyuubi growled, "**You may want to rethink that sentence, Doraku." **Doraku grinned and said, "Oh, Kyuubi. Angry as always, are you?"

Naruto gaped in amazement at Doraku and said, "Wait, you heard that?" Doraku scoffed and replied, "Of course, I did. Your blood acts as a medium and allows me to communicate with the Kyuubi."

"**Why don't you let me out, Doraku? For old times' sake.**" Doraku smiled and said, "Much as I would like that, I don't think it would be safe for my health to do that." The Kyuubi growled and Doraku spat Naruto's blood out as well. He turned over to Ino.

Doraku grinned at her lecherously, and then said, "Ah. Such a beautiful young body. I think I shall keep you personally for pleasuring me later on." Ino cringed as he leaned over her, touching her breasts as he put his mouth to her neck. He drew out some blood and his eyes shot up in amazement. "Such exquisite chakra control! And the ability to control minds as well. Wonderful. Kindly go and stand next to Sakura." Ino got up and stood next to Sakura.

Doraku said, "Now, let's play a game. I was going for something else, but seeing as three of you are free, I'm going to change it a little bit. Naruto, Tenten and Lee. The three of you are free to escape. Your gear is all kept at the entrance of the house. Please ensure that you do not take anybody else's gear, as that would be unfair. I will give you one minute to run away, hide or do anything that comes to your mind, short of attacking me, that is. After that, I will send the five of them after you to capture you. If they capture you, game over. If you escape them, I will give two of them back to you, the choice being yours."

The three awake ninjas ran out of the room. They reached their gear and quickly strapped on whatever they needed. Then they ran outside the house. The found themselves in a cave which had a narrow path. They ran into the path. A few seconds later, they reached a fork. Naruto said, "You guys go left. I'll take the right." They nodded, knowing that Naruto had clones to act as help. They went left and Naruto took off on his path.

As one minute got over, Doraku said, "Go. Bring Naruto, Tenten and Lee to me." He activated his stolen Byakugan as they went. As the five of the ninjas reached the fork, they all took the right fork. "Stop," Doraku said. They froze in place. He said, "Interesting as though it may seem, all of you cannot go after Naruto. Sasuke and Ino, go after Naruto. Shikamaru, Sakura and Neji, go after Lee and Tenten."

The ninjas split off. Doraku watched them with his Byakugan, knowing that they could not escape his vision unless they got out of the maze where he lived. The Byakugan was far more powerful under his influence than under Neji's influence and he used it to his full advantage. He saw Naruto running through the caves randomly and sniggered.

Naruto turned a right turn and stumbled straight into Lee and Tenten. They looked at each other and instinctively turned to the other path which Naruto had not taken. As they were about to get to another fork, the five enslaved ninjas reached them and flung several kunai at the three free ninjas. Naruto and Lee dodged the kunai and Tenten threw some of her own kunai, which splintered the ones thrown at them and stuck themselves into Sakura, Shikamaru and Neji's bodies. The captured ninjas pulled out the kunai and Sakura healed the wounds of all three of them. But until then, Naruto and Lee had decided that two on one and three on two is better than five on three, and had split up again.

Doraku split them off again, and this time Lee and Tenten reached a dead end where Sakura, Neji and Shikamaru caught up to them. Lee assembled his quarterstaff and waited for them to attack. Neji charged at him with his fingers laced with chakra. Lee quickly dodged him and swung his quarterstaff sideways into Neji's stomach. It was a weak attack and shouldn't have worked; but Neji was slow to dodge and still got hit with the staff at the edge of his right hip. Lee frowned; he knew that Neji was much faster than that. Meanwhile, Tenten was dodging Sakura's punches, knowing that a single one could seriously injure her. Shikamaru waited back, trying to get one of them into his shadows.

Sasuke and Ino stopped at a split in the cave, where there were three paths to follow. However, each of them had footprints running down them. Both of them stopped, confused and Doraku, getting annoyed, asked, "Well? Where'd he go?" Sasuke said simply, "No way of telling. Naruto is too random." Doraku was about to tell him something when he noticed a skeleton clinging to the wall behind the two of them. Naruto leapt out of his chameleon tarp and threw a quartet of shuriken at Sasuke. Sasuke turned back to look at them and his Sharingan saw the path and trajectory of each of them. He quickly dodged two, while countering the others with his own shuriken.

Ino, meanwhile, was gathering her chakra in a jutsu, but Naruto forced her to stop by throwing a kunai at her as well. As he fought Sasuke, he said, "Ino, I know you're in there, somewhere. You're supposed to be the mind control specialist, so how did you allow someone else to gain control of your own mind?" Ino paused, confused for a second, before she went back to blankly trying to attack him.

Naruto continued, "You've given me something so precious, Ino, that I will do whatever it takes to protect it. I won't lose you, Ino. I will never lose you." Ino stopped in the middle of a snap kick and smirked at him, saying, "That was the cheesiest thing I have ever heard from you, Naruto."

"INO!" Naruto yelled with joy and almost got beheaded by Sasuke. He turned and the couple retreated.

As Lee and Tenten continued to hold off the three of their allies, Naruto's voice crackled on Lee's radio. "Lee, I got back Ino. It seems that making them emotional gets them back into control. Try it on your end." Lee nodded, before realizing that Naruto couldn't see him and said, "Thank you for the advice, Naruto. I will try it out."

Doraku was livid. How had Ino got out of his control? He could still taste Ino's blood on his tongue. But she didn't respond to him anymore. What had the boy done to her? Surely his words alone couldn't have stirred her back to consciousness. Rubbish; his power was absolute. He looked at the rest of the battle in curiosity and sent Shikamaru to reinforce Sasuke; he couldn't allow his strongest servant to get overpowered.

Naruto and Ino double teamed Sasuke, Naruto frowning the entire time. He knew Sasuke enough to understand that something was wrong with Sasuke's movements. He could see that Sasuke was not dodging or avoiding their attacks as fast as he should have and was moving carefully, as though he had a broken rib or something of the sort.

Just then, Ino cried out as she was paralyzed, and Naruto turned around to see Shikamaru holding his hands together, his shadow stretching outwards to Ino. He flung a kunai straight at Shikamaru's hands and forced the normally apathetic ninja to separate his hands, freeing Ino in the process. Just then, Naruto took a slight cut to his left forearm from Sasuke's sword and he said, "Ino, take care of Shikamaru. I'll handle Sasuke. Try to get him emotional."

Ino grumbled, "Easier said than done, Naruto. Shikamaru has the emotional range of a teaspoon." Naruto grinned slightly and said, "Yeah, it's pretty much the same with this loser," and pointed to Sasuke. Sasuke merely swung his sword a little harder towards Naruto. Naruto continued, "Of course, Sasuke could never have resisted the demon. He is the biggest joke of the Uchiha clan. He is such a loser that his brother, who betrayed the entire clan, didn't make any effort to kill him. He left him alive, knowing that the brat was worthless."

He continued, "He left the village to train with a person who himself didn't have the power to defeat Itachi. Or didn't Orochimaru tell you that, Sasuke-teme?"

Sasuke roared, "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" and started fighting much faster than he had previously. Naruto smirked and said, "So, you're finally back, eh, Sasuke?" Sasuke pointed his sword at Naruto and said, "I finally get to kill you, dobe." Doraku was practically out of control with anger. "They managed to take back Sasuke. They took away my strongest servant. How? How is this possible?"

Meanwhile, Lee was busy prodding Sakura, "Is this the same Sakura who overcame Ino Yamanaka's Mind Transfer Jutsu on her own? Is this the same kunoichi who stood between the Chidori and the Rasengan? I can't believe that you are allowing someone else to control you, of all people, Sakura." Sakura shifted her attacks from Tenten towards Lee. Tenten dodged Neji's attacks and said, "The Neji I know would never be controlled in such a manner. He would never harm me like this. The Neji I know is a caring and loving person, hard on the outside, but soft and sweet on the inside. I love you, Neji, and I will not let you be taken away from me, ever in my life."

Sakura suddenly lurched as Lee said, "If you can't even control yourself, then I guess Ino wins." Sakura stumbled again as she shouted, "WHAT? No way I'm gonna let that pig win…" she trailed off, confused and said, "Lee? What just happened?" Lee smiled at her and turned on his radio. "Naruto, I got back Sakura. Now we will try to go after Neji." He didn't get any answer. He looked at Tenten in worry, who signed to him, "We must get Neji back as soon as possible and then hurry and find Naruto."

"Sakura too? What is this devilry?" Doraku thought as he considered his options. He couldn't lose Neji, not now that he had no more of the strong ones under his control. He called, "Neji, come back right now." He kept Shikamaru busy, trying to get someone else, presumably Sasuke, under his Shadow Possession. But Lee and Tenten were not letting Neji escape anymore.

Lee said, "I do not believe that my lifelong rival would be prone to such a mind control. Is this the same person who was able to take down Kidomaru? The only person to ever find your blind spot? Even Hinata is much better than you. And to think that you thought yourself the strongest member of your clan. I do not think that we need you; our team is more than capable of functioning without you. So why stay?"

"Why indeed?" came Neji's reply and both Lee and Tenten shouted in delight, "Neji!" and Tenten rushed to hug him. He hugged her back before glaring at Lee and saying, "So there I was, enslaved by a demon, and the next thing I know, my best friend is insulting me." Lee shook his head and said, "It was necessary to generate an emotional response from you in order to revive you." Neji nodded, and said, "We should get going now."

Doraku, meanwhile, had turned a dark red in color. His anger was too great to be contained any more. "I will CRUSH them!" he roared and went off in pursuit of the ninjas.

Naruto and Ino fought off Sasuke and Shikamaru respectively. Naruto said, "Come on, Sasuke. Do you want to escape this place or not? By my guess, Doraku will be angry that we managed to bring you back and he will be coming for us." Sasuke paused, and then said with an annoyed look, "Fine. We have a truce until we get out of here." All of them looked at Shikamaru, who suddenly stopped attacking Ino. He suddenly stared at them and said, "Well, that was a drag." They all stared incredulously at him, until Ino smacked him in the head, saying, "You were with us the entire time, weren't you, BAKA!" He shook his head, partly to say no, and partly to stop the sudden ringing in it. He said, "I was in my psyche, sleeping. I just woke up to find myself attacking you. So I stopped immediately."

All of them ran towards the different paths which they had found, and somehow managed to run into each other again. They asked Sasuke and Neji what happened. Sasuke refused to talk; but Neji said, "I was on my way to the Dojutsu tournament when I was suddenly attacked by Sasuke here. I was astonished to find that his movements were off; there was no other word for it. In the fight, I managed to break a few ribs of his, after which he retreated and a number of deceased puppet corpses attacked me."

"Just call them zombies, it's much easier that way," Sakura said. Neji nodded, saying, "The zombies were unskilled but numerous. Once it became clear to me that I was not going to win, I pretended to lose consciousness in order to find some information." Sakura smirked and said, "Would you mind teaching Naruto that some time?" Naruto glared at her and Neji continued, "Then I woke up to find Lee insulting me, after which I realized that I had regained control and so we came to find you guys."

"Wait a minute," Shikamaru said, "If you were awake when you came in, does that mean that you know the way out?" Neji smirked, saying, "Of course I do." Shikamaru said, "Then what are we waiting for?" As they ran out towards the exit, they found their path blocked by a wall. As Naruto gathered chakra in his hands to form a Rasengan, he was shocked to find Doraku sliding through the wall. Nevertheless, he charged forward with the Rasengan and Doraku easily avoided the attack while he himself launched a punch at Naruto with bone shattering strength.

Naruto flew back into the wall behind him, and fell with a thud. He got up again, stretching his back, and got back. Everyone looked at Doraku warily and he said, "Sakura's jutsu is much stronger than she realizes. I can use it to make my body as strong as steel." Then he vanished, appearing next to Tenten. He picked up Tenten by her uniform and his right eye widened, turning completely into the Mangekyo Sharingan, and he intoned, "Tsukuyomi." A heartbeat later, Tenten whimpered softly and he let her go, as she fell to the ground.

Sasuke immediately shunshined to the weapons master as Doraku retreated, and activated his own Mangekyo Sharingan. He felt everyone's eyes on him but he looked Tenten in the eye and intoned, "Tsukuyomi." Everyone looked at him, shocked, and Neji started to charge at him, when Tenten slowly got up and said, "That was…terrible." Everyone was stunned. Had Sasuke somehow helped Tenten? Sasuke answered their unasked question, saying, "I used my Tsukuyomi to reverse the effect of the demon's Tsukuyomi. We need all the help we can get."

They nodded and looked at Doraku, who was not showing it, but was slightly panting, having used quite some chakra to emulate the Tsukuyomi. His eyes were now completely white, with veins bulging around the edges. He charged at Neji and said, "Eight Trigrams: Two Palms, Four Palms, Eight Palms, Sixteen Palms, Thirty Two Palms!" However, Neji was much faster than Doraku, having used the jutsu hundreds of times before. He had, at the same time as Doraku, created his jutsu seal and intoned at the same time, "Eight Trigrams: Two Palms, Four Palms, Eight Palms, Sixteen Palms, Thirty Two Palms, Sixty Four Palms!"

His jutsu did what Doraku's did not; until Doraku's jutsu had ended, Neji had simply blocked each attempt of Doraku to overload his chakra points, and he had, in the end, blocked sixty four of Doraku's chakra points. Doraku grimaced; knowing that he had picked the wrong person to use that jutsu on. He staggered back a little, feeling each and every hit of Neji's like a mini sword on his body.

"That kind of stung," he downplayed the attack, but Neji smirked, seeing the damage he had inflicted and nodded at Lee, who suddenly kicked Doraku in the ribs, sending him flying into the air, but Lee was unable to follow up with the Leaf Whirlwind, due to the low roof. Doraku, however was slammed into the roof, and clung to the ceiling like a lizard. He said, "You should not have done that."

Suddenly, Neji's eyes picked out some chakra points in Doraku's body, which were of a different color than his normal chakra points. He nodded at Tenten and said, "Kariname Jutsu." Suddenly, Tenten was observing herself through Neji's eyes. She could see all around herself as well, and could see the chakra supply of each person around. She saw what Neji had seen, and he signed, "I want you to aim at those specific points. See what happens." Meanwhile, Ino and Naruto had engaged Doraku in TaiJutsu while upside down on the roof. Doraku dropped down to the ground, straightening himself as he fell, and started signing, but Tenten's kunai caught him straight in the shoulder, which caused a fountain of blood to gush out. Everyone frowned; the shoulder was not really a point where so much blood gathered, so why would this point hold so much blood? Unless…

"Everyone," Neji said, "There are some points on Doraku's body which I can see. They seem to be holding the blood of all the victims he has ever sucked blood from. If we can hit every point, then we can weaken him. Everyone keep him engaged." Doraku laughed loudly and said, "Do you really expect me to fall for your plan now that you've stated it out yourself? Ice Style: Crystal Ice Mirrors!"

Several ice mirrors formed around Naruto and Sasuke, and Doraku suddenly appeared inside them. Naruto said angrily, "Did you suck the blood from Haku's corpse as well?" Doraku smirked and said, "I know no Haku. And blood taken from a corpse does not work as well. I have had this Bloodline Trait with me for the past century. Although I heard that it was extinguished twenty years ago. So how do you know about it?" Neither of the two answered him.

Suddenly, Sasuke signed so fast that even Doraku couldn't follow them, "Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" A huge ball of flames rushed towards the ice mirrors and as Sasuke's breath ended, so did the flames. He saw that the ice mirrors were almost unaffected, if not for the slight condensation around the edges of the mirrors. Naruto said testily, "It didn't work against Haku, why do you think it would work against him?" Sasuke shot back, "I don't see you trying anything." He then continued, "Besides, this demon's technique is less powerful than Haku's. See the slight water on the edges of the mirrors?"

Naruto looked at it and then nodded. Just then Doraku appeared in one of the mirrors and flung some kunai at the two of them. They dodged and Naruto said, "Back to back then?" Sasuke nodded almost imperceptibly and they aligned backs. Naruto said quietly, "I'll try to blow a hole out of here with my Rasengan, and you can dart out of it." Sasuke nodded again, saying, "I'll keep him busy with my Phoenix Flower Barrage."

Naruto formed a Rasengan in his left hand and Sasuke signed for the Phoenix Flower Barrage Jutsu. As Naruto rushed towards a mirror, however, Doraku darted into another mirror and flung a few more kunai towards Sasuke's back. Naruto darted back and used the Rasengan to get rid of the kunai. He aligned his back to Sasuke and said, "Slight problem with that plan. It leaves your back exposed. We need another distraction."

Sasuke grinned; he removed a pot of oil from his leg pouch and smashed it into the ice mirror in front of him, then he signed, "Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" The fireball came back from his mouth, but this time, it hit the oil, causing a dense smoke to erupt from it. Naruto bent low, coughing at the sudden heat and smoke. Sasuke yelled, "Now, Naruto!" Naruto rushed to one of the mirrors, and while Doraku couldn't see, he blasted the mirror with a Rasengan. Sasuke's Sharingan saw through the smoke and he darted out of the hole Naruto had just made. He quickly activated his Chidori without any hand signs, and then ran in a circle outside the mirrors, destroying the base mirrors.

Without the base, the other mirrors crashed and revealed Doraku, who threw a punch at Naruto. But Naruto ducked and hopped back. The rest of them looked relieved to see that Naruto was safe. Doraku said, "That was impressive teamwork. I didn't know that you two would be able to co-ordinate an attack so well." Naruto smirked and Sasuke just looked at Doraku impassively.

Just then, Ino attempted to Mind Transfer into the demon, and he snorted as he pushed her spirit outside his body. She cried out as she returned to her body, and he said, "I don't need that distraction trying to get into my mind all the time. Lightning Style: Lightning Trident Jutsu!" He sent of a trident of energy at Ino which struck her squarely in her stomach, cutting it apart in three separate places. Naruto froze; time seems to stop as he looked from Doraku to Ino and back to Doraku. "YOU GOD-DAMNED BASTARD!" he yelled. Inside his psyche, he noticed the Kyuubi growling as well; he hadn't felt it's rage before, but now he could sense it.

"**Naruto, just this time, I will give you my chakra without my influence. Just make sure you kill this teme." **the Kyuubi growled. Naruto looked at the Kyuubi with a furious expression but said in a calm voice, "Humans cannot kill demons. But I can make him wish I could." The Kyuubi growled with satisfaction and Naruto returned to the surface.

Neji almost gasped as he saw two different chakras combining inside of Naruto, creating an almost purple chakra inside his body. Suddenly Naruto transformed. He suddenly turned golden in color and and seemed to be flickering at the edges. His eyes turned golden yellow, with dark orange pupils, and his uniform extended down into a cloak. Four golden tails made of chakra lashed out behind him. He looked at Doraku with a quite rage, and then growled, "Sakura, heal Ino." Doraku laughed, "A shape shifting technique? You think that will help yo…" His eyes widened as Naruto disappeared from his eyes and suddenly punched him in the stomach. Doraku wheezed in discomfort and flew back into the wall which he had first emerged from. The entire wall cracked and Doraku slowly stood, clutching his stomach, with a hint of fear in his eyes. Naruto suddenly found that he could sense the different bloods inside Doraku and took out a kunai. Faster than the eye could see, he reached Doraku and plunged the kunai into three different places, Doraku's let bicep, right thigh, and left shoulder, seemingly in one second. Doraku suddenly lost his Byakugan and Sharingan, and from the looks of it, Haku's Kekkei Genkai as well.

Naruto again punched Doraku in the stomach and all the blood Doraku was holding in his mouth fell out as well. He lost Sakura's strength as well as Shikamaru and Ino's abilities. He felt himself weaken; and turned to see Naruto holding a Wind Rasengan in his left hand and a Rasengan in each of his chakra tails, which he plunged into Doraku's body. The Wind Rasengan tore through the stomach of Doraku and created a huge hole, which bled rapidly, until it was left dry. At the same time, the four normal Rasengans created holes in each of Doraku's limbs, in each of his forearms and thighs.

Finally, Naruto looked at him and Doraku wheezed, "You can't kill me, no matter how much you try. I will regain all my powers, come to your village and drink the blood of every person there." Naruto signed, "Wind Style: Cyclone Spikes Barrage!" Huge amounts of sharpened wind chakra cones burst out from his hands and hit the ceiling. The stalactites which had been formed above fell down and Naruto picked some of them up. He then drilled each of the stalactites through each hole in Doraku's body. After that he used another barrage to break the wall that Doraku was pinned to, and collapse him underneath.

"Get out of that," Naruto growled. Just then, he lost the transformation and turned back to normal. He looked questioningly at the Kyuubi in his psyche and the Nine Tails replied, "**It was the first time that I have given you chakra willingly, so I was unable to provide too much. You were lucky that you didn't play around with him. Now get lost; tend to your mate.**" Naruto remembered Ino, and jumped back into the normal world. He looked at Sakura, whose hands were still glowing, focused on Ino's stomach. She looked up at him with tears running down her eyes, and said, "I'm sorry, Naruto… There was nothing I could do..."


	15. Chapter 15: Who Naruto Valued More

**Chapter 15: Who Naruto Valued More than His Life**

Naruto was next to Sakura in a second. As he looked at the holes in Ino's stomach, he saw her chest briefly rise. "Sakura? I thought you said…" he began, confused. Sakura shook her head, saying, "I'm using the Life Sustain Jutsu to keep her alive. But if I try to stop it and repair the damage, she'll bleed out before I can do anything. I've already given her all my plasma pills. And I'm running low on chakra too."

Naruto suddenly looked up with a weird look on his face. He said, "So you need blood, chakra and the Life Sustain Jutsu, right?" She nodded, looking at him in bewilderment. He said, "I can provide all of that." Everyone's eyes shot up at him with amazement.

"But you don't have the same blood group as Ino's," Sakura said, confused. Naruto nodded, "Let's start there. Ninja Art: Blood Type Reflect!" With that statement, he quickly took a drop of blood from Ino's stomach and pressed it to his tongue. He turned to Sakura and said uncomfortably, "Ok. Blood check."

He then signed and said, "Life Sustain Jutsu." His hands started glowing green like Sakura's and everyone stared at him, too stunned to speak. Naruto placed his hands on Ino's stomach, their glow much bigger than Sakura's. He said, "Start the transfusion." Sakura removed her hands from Ino's stomach, drew out two pins, a pipe and inserted one end into Naruto's right forearm. He inserted the other end in Ino's left forearm and started dragging out blood from Naruto's body into hers.

Naruto carefully removed his left hand from Ino's body and placed it on Sakura's shoulder, giving his chakra to her. Sakura's eyes dilated and she looked up at him in amazement, "Do you always have this much power, Naruto?" He growled, "No, I usually have much more. Now please hurry up." She quickly signed and said, "Ninja Arts: Cellular Retrace." Under he hands, Ino's internal organs started to repair themselves, or grow back where they were missing. Naruto kept up the Life Sustain Jutsu as Sakura worked on Ino's body. Under her jutsu, Ino's lower ribs grew back, along with her intestines. Her veins, capillaries and arteries reconnected and her skin started growing back over her toned abs.

Suddenly, Ino's head jerked up, her eyes looking around wildly. But Tenten was able to hold her head instantly and push it back down. She said, "You need to keep still, Ino." Ino looked at what was going on and forced her body to remain still. Sakura finished her jutsu as the skin reconnected together, closing what could have been a fatal injury. She sat down on her butt, exhausted.

"Thank you, Sakura, Naru…" Ino trailed off, as she saw where Naruto's still glowing hand was placed. It was firmly clasped under her ample left breast. She blushed and Sakura suddenly noticed it as well. "NARUTO!" she yelled and he hid his goofy grin as he looked at his hand and then at Sakura, saying, "I wasn't thinking about that, I swear, Sakura. I was fully focusing on my jutsus at the time."

Ino said, "It's okay, Sakura. I'm sure Naruto wouldn't do that on purpose, especially at this time. Right, Naruto? Naruto?" Naruto couldn't speak, as he fell onto his face in the dark cave.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

"Well, it's about time, knucklehead," came a familiar voice. He looked at his right to see the Fifth Hokage standing there. "Grandma Tsunade?" he asked groggily. "Where am I?" She came up to him and said, "At the hospital, of course. I thought you would recognize it by now. It's been five days since you passed out." Then her face turned angry, "Do you understand you incredibly lucky you were? Anyone else would have died from the effort. How could you do something so risky?" Naruto smiled slightly and said, "You know that I regenerate, Grandma. It's partly why the Pervy Sage taught me the Blood Type Reflect Jutsu."

She said, "You would have died, if it wasn't for Iruka and Anko. They found you at the village as Lee was carrying you back. Fortunately, Anko always carries a bag of plasma pills with her. It was barely enough to keep you alive till you were brought here."

Naruto asked, confused, "Anko and Iruka sensei?"

Tsunade replied, "I sent them two watch over the tournament, and report any unusual activities."

Naruto suddenly looked at her in worry. "What about Ino? How is she?"

Tsunade looked at him and said, "Perfectly fine. I checked her personally. If it wasn't for her uniform, I would never believe that she had three 4-inch holes in her stomach. What you and Sakura did was nothing short of a miracle. And if you ever do it again, I'll make sure to let you die! Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"Then let's get back to business. When and how did you learn the Life Sustain Jutsu?" He chuckled, "When I was at my trip. You know which one." She nodded, and then said, "I almost forgot. I have some urgent matters to attend to. I must get going. Take care and I'll be back later to check on you. You have visitors." She left, closing the door behind her. Naruto already knew who his first visitor would be. Ino opened the door and came in. She wore a different outfit now, with a black top and skirt now, instead of purple. She also wore an orange belt which complemented her outfit rather nicely.

She crossed the room in two strides and kissed him straight on his mouth furiously. He lay on his bed, too surprised to speak, and then after she parted back, she said, "How could you?" He said, "What do you mean?" She said, "I spoke to Lady Tsunade during my checkup. She said that I should have been dead by now. She also told me that you nearly died. How could you put your life at risk for me?"

She leant forward and put her head on his chest, crying silently now. Naruto ran his fingers through her hair and said, "Remember when I said that I loved you more than my own life? That wasn't just a corny statement, ya know." Ino's eyes shot up, as she remembered the statement he had made on the night of the meteor shower. She said, "If you ever do it again, I'll never forgive you!"

He said, "I'll make sure that it never happens again in the first place." She smiled at him and he kissed her forehead. Just then, Sakura burst into the room and glared at the two of them. She said, "Ino! You don't need to give Naruto that kind of stimulation right now! And you, Naruto! How dare you take advantage of your situation right now?"

Ino glared back at her and said, "I'm at perfectly liberty to kiss and be kissed by anyone I want Sakura. I don't see why you need to interfere." Sakura looked stunned, as though she had been slapped and couldn't quite believe that it had happened. She said, "What do you mean, Ino?" Ino said, "I don't think it's important for you to know. I'll see you later, Naruto." She got up and went out of the room.

Sakura said, "What the hell was that about, Naruto?" Naruto said, "I think you just pissed Ino off." She looked at him, still annoyed, before her expression turned to one of worry and she said, "You idiot. Do you know how dangerous that was? I read about the jutsu you used to change your blood type. It is an A-Rank forbidden jutsu, causing increases heart rate, blood pressure and never to be used in an uncontrolled transfusion. You could have died, baka!"

Naruto replied, "I regenerate, you know. It was partly the reason why the Pervy Sage taught me the jutsu." Sakura said, "Well, we have orders to let you die if you ever use it again." He smiled weakly and said, "I know. But the question is; Will you do it?"

She said, "Like hell. I've already lost Sasuke, I'm not about to lose you. But be careful." Then she snorted, "Look who I'm talking to. You don't know how to be careful."

They spoke some more, Sakura telling him that Sasuke had disappeared during the healing. Then they had carried Naruto out of the cave, and had met Anko and Iruka while coming back. Iruka had carried him back the rest of the way. After some time, Sakura turned to leave. Lee came in and spoke some more, after which Kakashi came in.

"Are you hear to lecture me too?" Naruto said, his eyes narrowed.

"No," Kakashi said, grinning, "I think you've had enough of that from the Hokage, Sakura, Iruka, Anko and Ino. I was told to ask all of the ninjas on the team about the mission. You're the last person left to interview. So, what's your version of the story?"

Naruto recounted his story, in which he destroyed many more zombies, and dodged every attack of Sasuke, but Kakashi simply let that slide. He was after something else. Naruto nearly faltered at the point when Ino was attacked.

Kakashi said, "You can skip that. I already got a detailed version from the others. I want to know what happened next. Neji said that the two chakras inside of you mixed." Naruto turned thoughtful and said, "Yeah. The Kyuubi allowed me to use his chakra for free. I think it was because he was as mad at Doraku as I was. So he told me that he wouldn't influence me, but would give me his chakra just to defeat Doraku."

Kakashi said, "And then Neji reported that you transformed." Naruto nodded, saying, "I turned golden in color. And I felt so much stronger than usual. I was able to create the Wind Rasengan in one hand without any clones." Kakashi's eye widened as he considered that. Naruto continued, "Also, some chakra extensions came out from my back. They seemed to function like limbs of their own and were able to create Rasengans of their own too."

Kakashi looked at him, stunned, as he digested that information. Naruto told him the rest of the tale, of his one sided fight with Doraku and then healing Ino. Kakashi asked him a few more questions and then left. Just then, Inoichi Yamanaka came in and Naruto paled slightly. Inoichi was well known for his bad temper.

Inoichi said, "I owe you a debt that I can never repay. There is something that I have been forbidden to tell you, but you have brought my daughter back from the dead. It is more than enough for me to tell you this. It is about your mother." Naruto's eyes widened. Inoichi said, "Although I didn't know about your father, I did know your mother quite well. Her name was Kushina Uzumaki. She was a Genin of the Hidden Leaf, but her skills rivaled the three Sannin and the Fourth Hokage. She sacrificed her life for you, when the Fourth Hokage sealed the Kyuubi inside you."

Naruto stared at Inoichi as he continued, "Your mother saved my life the day when Kyuubi attacked the Leaf village. It is a debt which you have only increased by saving my daughter. She fought the Kyuubi while protecting us. The Kyuubi took a giant swing at her and we thought she was dead, until she rose and said, "It's okay. It just scratched me." The scratches, which she had said were nothing, had cut her down from her shoulder to her stomach. She had held up her own body by chakra, while still protecting us. If she had gone in for medical treatment at that time, she would no doubt still be alive. But she sacrificed herself for us. I can never forget that, and I still looked down upon you as a child."

He held Naruto's hand and said, "I hope you have it in your heart to forgive me for keeping my daughter away from you, from forbidding her to be your friend, and for not being there as your mother's friend when you needed help. Please forgive me." Naruto looked at him, tears forming in his eyes, and clasped Inoichi's hand with his other hand, saying, "You have more than repaid your debt by telling me all this. I have never been so happy in my life. Thank you, Inoichi-san."

Inoichi looked at him and said, "So does that mean that I'm forgiven?" Naruto said, "Of course, Inoichi-san." The older blonde got up and left the room, leaving Naruto with his thoughts.

**Author's Note**: Sorry for the short chapter, I'm busy with college stuff. Happy Reading!


	16. Chapter 16:The Serpent's Mistake

**Chapter 16: The Serpent's Mistake**

"You're late, Sasuke," Kabuto said sarcastically, as Sasuke entered Orochimaru's current hideout. Sasuke looked at him for a moment, studying him, before saying sardonically, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were waiting for me." Kabuto looked at him in surprise; Sasuke had never spoken to him like this before.

Sasuke said, "Where is Orochimaru?" Kabuto replied, "**Lord **Orochimaru is in the scroll room, he is awaiting your arrival." Sasuke walked off, not even acknowledging Kabuto's answer. The serpent Sannin's apprentice looked at Sasuke, thinking, "What's got into him?"

Sasuke didn't find Orochimaru at the scroll room. He searched the rooms and found Orochimaru sitting on his throne in his own room, perusing over a couple of scrolls. Orochimaru didn't acknowledge him in the slightest. Sasuke looked at the necromantic shinobi with distaste. Finally, Orochimaru gazed upwards and said, seemingly in surprise, "Ah, Sasuke. I see you have made it back from the tournament. Did you find what you were looking for? Or at least win the tournament?"

Sasuke's ire rose; he knew that the serpent had been aware of his presence as soon as he had entered the room. "It was a trap; set by a blood drinking demon," he replied, without displaying his emotions. Orochimaru looked at him with a surprised expression for a split second; before he emptied his face of any emotions as well and mused, "I see. It must have been after your Kekkei Genkai. Obviously, it was no match for you, considering that you are here."

Sasuke shook his head, saying, "I was captured and enslaved by the demon."

Orochimaru tilted his head slightly, betraying an increased interest.

"Naruto broke the demon's hold over me, and was able to defeat it too," Sasuke said. Normally, admitting something like this would be extremely infuriating for him, but this time, he reveled in the Sannin's reaction. Though most people would have missed it, Sasuke had unbelievably sharp eyes even without his Sharingan activated, and he caught the narrowing of Orochimaru's eyes, and the twitch of his eyebrows.

"So the fool came for you as I thought. But as usual, he was unable to capture you."

Sasuke said, with a dark humor in his voice, "He was distracted. I was able to get away as he was treating his team- mates." Sasuke relayed the entire battle to the rogue Sannin and strangely, it cause a strange impact on the serpent. It set off a chain of thoughts in the necromantic man's mind, inspiring both worry, and fear.

As Sasuke was telling him about the part where Naruto was drilling the Wind Rasengan through the demon, Orochimaru suddenly burst into a fit of coughing, and the scrolls in front of him were spattered with blood. Sasuke stopped, his amusement at angering the serpent gone. "The demon's hold on me was interesting. I couldn't see or smell or hear anything. But my Sharingan read everything that happened and retained it in my brain. Most was useless, but Naruto did say something that sparked my interest."

"Enough about that fool, now," hissed Orochimaru. "We have more important matters to attend to." Sasuke took a step forward and continued, "Naruto told me that you tried to defeat Itachi and failed." Orochimaru, who had been growing angry at Sasuke's tone, froze. He thought, "How on earth did the Jinchuuriki brat know about this? Well, I can't think of that at the moment. I have to deal with Sasuke right now."

The serpent feigned disinterest and said, "And you didn't already know that?"

Sasuke stop feigning normalcy. He burst out in an icy tone, "I had suspected this, but… Everything I did for the last three years, until now, was to gain the power to kill my brother. I betrayed my village and my team mates. I stole for you, killed for you…"

Orochimaru hissed, "And I have given you the power that you were seeking for, all this time." Sasuke roared, "YOU COULDN'T EVEN DEFEAT ITACHI! And of course, your teachings would keep me weaker than you!" Orochimaru watched, betraying no emotions, waiting to see what Sasuke was up to.

"We are done. I know now that you are not worthy of the Sharingan. I am leaving, to find someone who will give me the power that I need to finish off my brother," Sasuke said, as he turned away and started walking off.

Orochimaru started laughing, "Hahahahahahahaha! What wonderful timing! I missed you last time. Had you not come back, left a little earlier, I would missed you again and would be forced to take a surrogate. But this time I will not let you go so easily." Sasuke looked back towards him, his Sharingan glowing in the darkness. He said, "I thought you looked weak. Didn't you have three months left before switching again?" Orochimaru got up and stretched his arms. He said, "Maybe this body was too weak to begin with. Or maybe I used up to much of its life force, regaining the use of my arms." Then his hands dropped to twice their length. "Anyway, I have enough power to defeat the weaker sibling."

The doors of the room shut as Sasuke looked back, seeing Kabuto's smirk. He realized why Kabuto had said that he was late. He looked back at Orochimaru to see all the skin and flesh of Orochimaru dropping to the floor in chunks. Underneath the skin came snake scales, so white that they shone in the darkness of the room. As the transformation ended, Sasuke saw a huge white serpent looking down at him, its face resembling Orochimaru remotely.

Sasuke looked up at Orochimaru, disgusted, saying, "Is this what you've chosen to turn into? I pity you." He flung a trio of kunai at Orochimaru, whose scales deflected them without even flinching.

Sasuke signed quickly, "Mi, Hitsuji, Saru, I, Uma, Tora! Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" He spit a huge ball of flames at his former master, who signed vocally, having no arms to gesture. "Mi, Tatsu, Tori, Inu, Ne. Earth Style: Mud Surge Jutsu." A huge wave of mud broke out from the ground in front of the serpent and enveloped the fire art of Sasuke, who was forced to abandon his jutsu to avoid being smashed into the wall.

"This, you foolish traitor, is my soul," Orochimaru hissed, "It is the natural form of my spirit when outside of a body and is much stronger than a human vessel." Sasuke replied, unimpressed, "Then why steal bodies?" Orochimaru simply sneered, "Because for all its strength, a soul begins to fade without a material form to contain it. And without a chakra supply, I cannot recover my energy."

"Ninja Arts: Flesh Bomb Jutsu!" Orochimaru intoned, and the chunks of flesh near Sasuke's body burst, filling the area with poison fog. Coughing, Sasuke dove out of the cloud of venom. Orochimaru's head grinned, saying, "You are correct on all counts, though, Sasuke-kun. I could have given you so much more power than you have, more than you could even deserve. It was rather amusing, trying to find the balance between making you a strong host, and keeping you weak enough to be unable to oppose me."

The ground near Sasuke erupted and long spikes of white scales shot out towards him. With his Sharingan, Sasuke was able to dodge almost all of them, but was forced to shatter one with his sword. He looked at Orochimaru, hatred in his red eyes. The snake smirked and said, "Will the Sharingan work on me? Will you be able to hypnotize a soul? Or will you be able to copy my hand signs, when I have no hands?"

As if to reply to him, Sasuke signed, "Mi, Tatsu, Tori, Inu, Ne!" and a much larger wave of mud flew towards the serpent. Orochimaru gazed at the mud with moderate appreciation and at the last moment, dived through it. He said, "I have no bones to break, no blood to spill. You cannot harm me when I am in this form." Orochimaru turned to look at the rebel teenager, but he was no longer there. Then Orochimaru smelled him and looked up at the ceiling just in time to see Sasuke aiming his sword at the serpent's neck.

The traitorous Sannin caught the sword between his scales, and turned to bite Sasuke. Sasuke tried to dodge, but he was too close and the fangs of his former master caught him lightly on the right arm. As he dropped back, choking a little bit, Sasuke started signing. Meanwhile, Orochimaru broke his sword and threw the pieces at Sasuke to stop him. Sasuke dodged them easily, while still signing, and shouted, "Lightning Style: Lightning trident Jutsu!"

Three huge spears of lightning shot out from Sasuke's hands and hit the Sannin in the legs, burning out huge chunks of flesh from them. Orochimaru looked at Sasuke with newfound respect, even as his legs started healing. He said, "Where did you learn that Jutsu? I didn't teach it to you." Sasuke didn't respond and began considering his options. His lungs were burning from the toxins and his right arm was starting to numb.

Before the teenager could act, Orochimaru took one step forward and vanished. He appeared behind Sasuke and stabbed twice with the Kusanagi, which had appeared in his mouth. Sasuke cried out in agony as the tendons in his leg muscles were cut. Orochimaru smirked, saying, "I had faith that I had trained you better than this. It seems that I will need a lot of time to catch up…"

The serpent Sannin swallowed his Kusanagi, and opened his jaws wide, engulfing the young teenager up to his legs. Sasuke kicked out feebly, as his legs were also swallowed by the serpent. Meanwhile, Kabuto's face lit up as he saw his arrogant junior being swallowed up by the serpent. Just then, something caught his eye, and he froze the feed, and rewound it. Just before Sasuke's face disappeared into the serpent's mouth, he smiled a triumphant grin.

Sasuke looked around him. He seemed to be in a plain, with nothing around him. He stepped forward, and suddenly a white cube sprang up around him. He touched the prison; nothing visible happened. He pushed outwards and suddenly found a tingling in his arm. "What is this place?" Sasuke shouted out.

Orochimaru's normal face suddenly appeared in front of the cage, and said, "Well, think of it as my spiritual stomach. In the past, I would simply destroy the victim's soul, to make things easier. But your Sharingan is as much a part of your soul as your body, so I will have to slowly digest it from here. I will tear down your personality and memories bit by bit and absorb them. This way, I will finally get the power of these accursed eyes, and I believe that it will also help me keep this body alive longer, until I find the secret to gaining immortality."

Sasuke grinned. Orochimaru's face frowned at him, wondering, 'What's up with that look on his face?' Sasuke burst into laughter, tears streaming out of his eyes. He wiped his eyes as he continued laughing, and then finally said, "You're right, you know. The Sharingan is a part of my soul."

He looked up at Orochimaru's face, his eyes suddenly glowing red, with a three bladed black design in each of them. Orochimaru gasped, "NO! How can you activate the Sharin…" His protests were cut off as he screamed in intense agony. His face shrunk in size, becoming smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared.

Suddenly, Orochimaru's face began to appear in the prison that he had pushed Sasuke into. Slowly, his entire body began getting sucked in. Finally, the serpent found himself standing inside the cage. He looked at the Uchiha and screamed, "What have you done? And how?"

Sasuke looked at him in disgust and then sneered, "My Mangekyo Sharingan can pierce through time, space and thought. A soul prison made up only of space and thought cannot hold me." He started to fade from the cage and Orochimaru desperately charged at him. But his hands met nothing but air. Sasuke smirked as he vanished completely from the cage. Orochimaru signed and spat out a huge inferno of flames, but the cage remained unchanged.

An eye suddenly came up in front of the cage where Orochimaru had begun writing something on the floor with his blood. The eye was red and had a bladed design. Sasuke's voice echoed, "How did you like the trap that I set for you? You thought yourself so smart as to kill me so easily? No wonder you do not deserve the Sharingan, you don't know anything about it." Orochimaru continued writing, and finally said, "Necromantic Arts: Soul Summoning!" But nothing happened. Sasuke's voice started laughing and said, "That jutsu of yours requires physical blood, not the imaginary blood that you were writing with. And in any case, I can subdue you again with my Sharingan, so it is futile to escape."

Kabuto looked at the monitors with confusion and worry. Why would Sasuke be smiling as he died? He looked back at the screen, seeing Orochimaru's soul fade away, leaving only Sasuke's body behind. "Interesting," he said; Orochimaru's previous transfers had been slow, taking at least half a day to digest. Suddenly, Sasuke looked straight at the camera and said, "Your master is done. I have killed him. He won't be able to save you, the next time we meet."

Kabuto froze. Sasuke had killed Orochimaru. He had wanted Orochimaru to steal his body the whole time. All that he did, was simply an act, an act of resistance to make things simpler.

Sasuke looked down at his leg muscles, smiling at the cuts that were closing with an inhuman speed. The rogue turned and activated his Chidori. He blasted through the stone doors easily and walked off. As he turned the corner and vanished, Kabuto snuck into the room. He quickly picked up the chunks of remaining flesh and stored them into a scroll. He gathered everything that he could and then quietly exited the room.

"What the fu…" the red haired Kunoichi began to yell as the room of her door burst open. But as she saw who it was, her expression turned to one of rapture. The girl was of around Sasuke's height, and quite slender. Her light red hair was split on two sides, one side long and straight, and the other side wild and unkempt. She only wore a tiny spandex tank top and small shorts. Her eyes, which matched her hair color, glowed with delight and a healthy amount of lust.

"Sasuke-kun!" she purred lecherously as she lunged forward to him. He simply sidestepped her embrace as he entered the room. "Karin, it is time. I have defeated Orochimaru. I am leaving. Are you coming with me?" Karin looked at him, her expression surprised and scared for a split second, before she hid it under a lusty smile. "Run away with you, Sasuke-kun? Gladly!" She latched herself onto him, holding his right arm tightly.

"Good," Sasuke managed to disentangle himself from her, but his right hand brushed against her breast. She shivered and blushed from the brief contact. "Get ready to leave," he said, "I'm going to bring our third team mate."

Karin's face fell, genuinely disappointed. "Do we have to?" she asked, pouting. "Won't the two of us be enough?" He shook his head, saying, "Are you willing to fight Kisame Hoshigaki on your own?" She froze for a second before saying angrily, "Do you think I can't?" He looked at her and smiled, before lying smoothly, "Of course I don't. I just don't want to put you at risk, not when there is someone else we can use."

She seemed to accept his explanation, before allowing him to leave.

Unlike before, Sasuke knocked at the door this time. After a few moments, the door was opened by an annoyed looking person. "You again!" he said and went back to sitting on the bed, cleaning a pair of spiked swords in an intimidating fashion. Sasuke stared at him, unimpressed.

Suigetsu Hozuki grinned at him, displaying his sharp shark-like teeth. He said, "What is it this time, Uchiha?" Sasuke frowned at the disrespect but said, "I have killed Orochimaru. I am leaving. Will you join me and honor our agreement?" Suigetsu looked at him with pretense confusion, "What was that? Did you say something about an agreement?"

Sasuke replied, "Don't play games with me, Suigetsu. The agreement where I take you to where Zabuza Momochi's sword is held and you fight Kisame Hoshigaki when the time comes."

Suigetsu nodded, saying, "Ah. That agreement." Then he looked back at Sasuke seriously, "You know I want to kill you. Why should I watch your back?" Sasuke smirked and replied, "Self-interest. You already have Raiga's swords. If you want Zabuza's sword, you need me. And if you want Kisame's sword as well, you need someone to take care of Itachi for you. Which is also the reason why I need you, because I know that you are the only one who will fight Kisame all out."

Then Sasuke smiled and said, "Besides, who knows what Karin will do to you if you betray me." Suigetsu's eyes widened and he said, "That bitch is coming too? No way!" Sasuke's eyes suddenly glowed red and Suigetsu realized that he had touched a nerve. He said, "Okay okay, I'll put up with her. I'll work with you, but only until I get the Samehada."

A few minutes later, the three of them left Orochimaru's hideout. Karin had put on a lavender coat and thigh high boots. Suigetsu carried a backpack and had strapped Raiga's swords to behind his shoulders. The three of them set of to the Land of Waves.

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay, having a lot of problems at home. Hope they get sorted soon. Please review. Happy Reading!


	17. Chapter 17:Naruto's New Toy

**Chapter 17: Naruto's New Toy**

Naruto and Ino walked home from the movie, Ino's head on Naruto's shoulder. The two of them cut a wonderful sight, a perfect couple. Suddenly, Naruto stopped. Ino looked at him, confused, "What is it, Naruto?" He looked at her and said, "That weapon shop." She looked at the right and saw the weapon shop which he was staring at. "What about it?" she asked, still confused. He suddenly ran towards the display and stared at it. Ino ran after him, still confused, and a little annoyed at his attitude.

"Naruto! Are you gonna tell me what you're thinking about, or do I have to do it myself?" Ino demanded. Naruto pointed at the weapon on the left side of the display. Ino snorted, "That's a training tool, Naruto. It's a staff blade." She suddenly saw the gleam in his eyes as she said the word. Naruto finally spoke, "The staff blade is my weapon of choice for battle." Ino stared at him incredulously and he said, "I've had training of the staff blade with Iruka sensei for some time. He told me that I had great potential for it. And I've wanted a staff blade of my own for some time now."

"So, are you going to buy this one, Naruto-kun?" Ino asked. He shook his head and looked at her with a devilish expression, saying, "I'm going to make one." Ino stared and said, "But you can't craft weapons!" before thinking, 'Can you?' He said, "Meet me at Iguromo's weapon shop tomorrow at 8AM. I'll show you something really epic." She said, "Alright, alright. But can you at least walk me to my parents' home now? I'm staying there for the night, remember?" He said sheepishly, "Right. I forgot about that."

They reached Ino's old home, where Naruto said goodnight and began to walk off nonchalantly. But Ino grabbed his shirt and said, "Just like that?" He turned with a sad smile and whispered in her ear, "You dad is looking out the window at us right now." She looked up immediately and said, "Dad, do you mind giving us a moment?" Naruto also looked at Inoichi apologetically and Inoichi receded into the room. Ino hugged Naruto and brought her face close to his. As she puckered her lips, he also leaned in closer. Their lips met and they kissed each other happily.

Naruto broke apart from her after a few moments and said hoarsely, "What did I do to deserve you, Ino?" She smiled and said, "Nothing much. Apart from changing my life, saving me, returning my feelings for me, caring for me… should I go on?" He shook his head, smiling. Just then, he felt someone's presence nearby. He turned around, but no one was there. He turned back to Ino, who looked at him questioningly. He shook his head again, and gave her a small kiss again before whispering, "Good night, Ino-chan. And your dad saw this kiss." Ino blushed slightly before saying, "I really don't care right now, Naruto."

She went in the house, and Inoichi looked down at Naruto, a little annoyed at the display, but also inwardly happy that Ino had found such a wonderful boy as her partner. He had always worried that she would be fixated on that Uchiha brat. He jumped down lightly from the window and fixed Naruto with an appraising look. Then he spoke, "I'm glad that Ino and you are together. You have earned my respect thoroughly, so I don't mind your relationship with her in the slightest. But, as it is a father's duty, I have to regretfully warn you, that…"

Naruto smiled and said, "That if I ever do anything that will hurt Ino's feelings, you'll hunt me down for the rest of my life. Isn't that right, Inoichi-san?" Inoichi nodded, and then smiled. Naruto said, "I'd kill myself before ever hurting Ino, Inoichi-san. Don't you worry one bit." Inoichi held out his hand and Naruto shook it. Then they hugged and Inoichi went back in the house. Ino came to her bedroom's window and blew him a flying kiss. He caught it exaggeratedly and she giggled. He waved goodbye at her, and she sighed. Naruto turned and started walking to their home.

Just then, he again got the feeling that he was being watched. He thought of a plan. He shunshined two streets away and split off a Shadow Clone. The Shadow Clone continued home and he followed it discreetly, watching if someone was shadowing the clone. As he was about to give up, he suddenly saw Hinata watching the clone from behind a corner. He frowned and went up to her. She was so focused at the clone that she didn't even notice the original. He tapped her on the shoulder and said, "What are you doing, Hinata? Why are you following me? Is there something you want?"

Hinata blanched; how could she not have noticed him? She started fainting, but Naruto quickly held her nose. As her breath was constricted, Hinata sprang back to full alert and Naruto let go of her nose. She blushed deeply and he said again, "Why were you following me, Hinata?" She tapped her fingers together as was her habit, and stammered, "Umm…umm…Naruto-kun, I…wanted to…to say some…something…" But just then, she seemed to lose her nerve and said, "Sorry, I have…have to go." She ran off, and he frowned. What was with this girl?

He reached home and remembered about the staff blade. He would need some stuff from Iguromo for it. Naruto went to his cupboard and touched the FuinJutsu seal on his drawer. It opened and he removed a pouch. It consisted of a lot of money. He tried to calculate how much he would need, before deciding it was too troublesome, and took out the entire amount. He put it in Gama, and thought, "I can put the rest of it back after I finish buying what I need."

Naruto called Kakashi and said, "Are you busy tomorrow morning, sensei? I have something I want to show you." Kakashi said, "Sorry, I have teaching duties tomorrow, Naruto. It's my turn to volunteer at the academy for my yearly class. Why, is it something important?" Naruto replied, "No, I can show it to some other time as well. But it's something I'm proud of. Never mind." Kakashi said, "Okay then. I'll see it later sometime. And Naruto, good that you called. The Chunin exams are taking place a couple of months from now, you should start training for them."

Naruto paled, before saying, "I totally forgot about that, Kakashi sensei! Thanks for telling me!" Kakashi said, "Anytime." He hung up. Naruto went to sleep, but he kept thinking about the Chunin exams. He finally fell asleep and dreamt of tiny nine-tailed foxes attacking him in the Forest of Death. He woke up sweating and the Kyuubi laughed in his psyche. Naruto turned over and went back to sleep.

The next day, Ino reached Iguromo's weapons shop punctually at 8AM. She waited for nearly fifteen minutes before tapping her foot impatiently, 'Where on earth is Naruto?' Naruto suddenly showed up in front of her and said, "Sorry, Ino. I didn't get a good night's sleep. Let's go." Ino started to ask him what had happened but they entered the shop and Iguromo smiled at them. "How are you, Naruto-kun? Ino-chan?" They both smiled at the former Stone village ninja and Naruto said, "I'm here to buy some stuff, Iguromo-san. I hope you have everything I need."

He took out a list and began reading. "I'll need 50 stainless steel kunais, 50 steel shurikens, a 5x5 sheet of steel and titanium alloy, the strongest one you have, and a quarter pound of 24 carat gold, in a block shape."

Ino and Iguromo stared at him as though he were mad. Ino vocalized her thought, "Are you mad, Naruto? What do you need all this stuff for?" Iguromo nodded at that and added, "And do you know how much all of this will cost, Naruto-kun?" Naruto nodded, saying, "I know. But I do need all of this for what I'm about to do."

Iguromo took out a box of kunais and shurikens and gave them to Naruto. Naruto picked out 50 of each and kept them aside. Iguromo went in the back and got a sheet of steel and titanium alloy out, and kept it next to the kunais. He then said, "You will have to wait for the gold, I'm afraid." Naruto said, "It's okay, I'll wait." Ino said, "How long will it take, Iguromo-san?" Iguromo looked at his watch and said, "A couple of hours at the most."

Ino nodded and said, "Naruto, let's go and do some training till then. We can come back and take everything later." Naruto said, "Okay. Iguromo-san, keep all of this safe, alright? Wrap it up so that it will be easier for me to carry." Iguromo nodded and started wrapping the stuff up. The two blondes left the store and headed to the training ground nearest to them. As they reached, Naruto said, "So, what do you want to do, Ino?"

Ino looked at him, surprised, and said, "What do you mean, Naruto?"

Naruto said, "I've never really trained with another person before. The Pervy Sage never sparred with me, he had me training with my Shadow Clones. And any training with Kakashi sensei has had me fighting against Sakura. So I've never really trained with a fellow shinobi of my age on my own."

Ino looked sad at that; but then she looked up and said, "I wanted to ask you a favor." Naruto said, "Anything for you, Ino." Ino smiled at that and then said, "Can you teach me the Rasengan?"

Naruto blinked in surprise and said, "What?" Ino repeated the question and he looked down at his feet. Ino sighed and said, "I understand. It's your special jutsu and all. It's okay." Naruto's eyes shot up and he said, "It's not that, Ino. It's just that I don't think I'm good enough to teach you anything. It took me some time to learn it, and I've only recently mastered it with one hand."

Ino said determinedly, "I'm willing to put up with anything as long as you teach me." He sighed and said, "Alright. But first, let me show it to you." Ino said, "Wait. I know how I can speed up through the training. I'll read your mind to find out how the Rasengan is formed. It will make it easier for me."

Naruto nodded, and sat down. Ino Mind Transferred into him and perused his mind. She saw all the different Rasengans he had created in his training with Jiraiya and her eyes widened. She tried to reach into another part of his mind, but she found it blocked. Ino frowned. "What is there here that Naruto has blocked me out of it?" She decided not to ask but went forward and looked at the first time he had formed the Rasengan. She saw all the stages of his training. Then, after she had all the information she could get, Ino ended the jutsu and went back to her own mind.

Naruto said, "Ino, please don't look into that part of my mind again. I keep it closed even from you for a reason. I'll tell you when the time comes, don't worry." Ino nodded and said, "Well, I know how you did it, Naruto. But we will need water balloons for the first stage, right?" Naruto nodded, grinning at the memory of his first time learning the Rasengan.

They got a few water balloons and Ino started gathering chakra in her hand. Unlike her boyfriend, she had expert chakra control, and was able to gather chakra into the balloon quite easily. Naruto quoted what Kakashi had told him about chakra change in form and nature. He said, "The Rasengan is the highest level of change in chakra form, Ino. It is an A-Ranked jutsu in itself. So, don't over-exert yourself."

Under Naruto's watchful gaze, Ino burst the first water balloon in just over an hour after they had started training. Naruto congratulated her and said, "It took me more than a day to do it." Ino looked at him happily and then continued doing the same. Then she frowned and suddenly said, "Is it difficult to make the Rasengan smaller, Naruto?"

Naruto frowned slightly and said, "I guess it is. It needs greater chakra control to make it smaller, because the chakra threads have to be woven tighter around in the sphere. But why?" Ino said, "I think that you could improve your chakra control if you started making your Rasengan smaller and smaller. Until you can fit it onto one finger." Naruto stared at her and she blushed slightly. "Ino! That's brilliant! Imagine the power of five tiny Rasengans, one on each finger! Amazing!"

Ino nodded, saying, "It will also help you hone your chakra control. And besides, I can work on the Rasengan as well, at the same time."

Ino continued working on bursting the water balloons until she was tired out. Being a kunoichi, she naturally had finer chakra control and had not been force to stretch her chakra reserves as much as other shinobi. Naruto had got his Rasengan down to about the size of a golf ball. He looked at the time and said, "We need to get my stuff, Ino." Ino nodded and they went back to the store.

Iguromo got out all the stuff that Naruto had ordered and said, "That will be 2,80,750 Ryo, Naruto." Naruto said, "Alright, Iguromo-san." He took out Gama and took out the money required. Ino stared at Naruto's pouch, thinking, 'Where did Naruto get this much money from?' Naruto said, "Thanks, Iguromo-san. See ya later!" They both stepped out from the shop and Ino inquired, "How do you have so much money, Naruto?"

Naruto said sheepishly, "I helped the Pervy Sage write some of his books, because he wouldn't train me otherwise. So I get part of the royalties from the books. And they sell quite well too, which is surprising, considering what the material is. That's how I have so much money."

Ino blushed as she remembered her stash of Icha Icha series under her bed. She made up her mind to store them somewhere safer. Then she blushed deeper, realizing that Naruto had written some of the things that she had read. Naruto noticed her blushing and said, "What is it, Ino?" She shook her head and put the books out of her head.

They reached the training grounds again, and Naruto sat down cross-legged. He intoned, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Four clones split off and they sat down as well, making a pentagonal pattern. The original Naruto piled all the stuff in the center between them. Then they all started signing in perfect synchronization. Ino stared in amazement as the five of them kept signing for more than a minute. After another minute, a black ball started appearing in the center of the pentagonal pattern the five of them were sitting in. Naruto said, his voice straining, "Ino, get back. And this will take time. You are free to go if you get bored." Ino nodded and took a few steps back. The pile of stuff that Naruto had bought was all dragged into the black sphere. Ino wondered what it was.

Just then, Sakura entered the training ground. She had seen Ino and Naruto enter the training ground and wondered what they were up to. Then she saw what Naruto was doing and gasped audibly. Ino turned to look at her and Sakura asked, "Why is Naruto doing that?" Ino looked confused and asked, "Do you know what it is he's doing?"

Sakura said, "That's the Weapon Forge Jutsu, I'm sure of it. Don't you know about it, Ino?" Ino said, "No, I've never heard anything about it other than it being an S-Ranked Jutsu. Do you mean that Naruto is performing the Weapon Forge Jutsu right now?"

Sakura nodded and said, "According to legend, five ninjas are required to perform the jutsu. And if the five are not in agreement as to what weapon is to be crafted, then it will be a waste of chakra, as the weapon will be ruined."

Ino gaped at Naruto and then said to Sakura, "Where would Naruto learn this jutsu?" Sakura was busy staring at the jutsu which Naruto was currently using. She then said, "However, if someone possesses the chakra to fill in all the positions, that eliminates any issues."

They watched Naruto but after a half hour, it became evident that this was going to take time. Sakura said, "I gotta go to the hospital for my work shift. Tell Naruto to show me what he's made when it's done." Ino nodded and Sakura walked off. Ino continued to watch Naruto.

After some time, as Naruto had predicted, Ino got bored. But rather than taking off, she started working on her Rasengan again. She was able to gather chakra in her hands quite easily; but forming the threads in a perfect sphere was quite tough, even for her. As they both worked on their respective jutsus, the sun came up over their heads. Naruto continued the jutsu, while Ino retired to the shade of the trees nearby.

It was nearly 7PM in the evening when Naruto suddenly said, "Tatsu!" and the sphere disappeared. A weapon fell out of the sphere as it vanished, and he caught it in his right hand. The rest of the clones vanished as Ino walked up to him, and saw the weapon he was holding in his hand.

"Naruto, is that what I think it is?" Ino asked. Naruto nodded happily.

"It's a staff blade, Naruto," Ino continued, a little annoyed that he had spent so much time and money on a training tool, until she suddenly remembered, 'Right, it's his weapon of choice.' Naruto held out the weapon, and now that she could see it clearly, she gasped.

The pole of the weapon was fully golden, glinting in the sunset. The blade was two feet in height, and made of steel, presumably the steel of the kunais and shurikens. The pole had an intricate design carved into it, and upon a closer look, Ino felt tears rising up. What she had thought was a design was actually her name, carved into the pole thousands of times in an italic style. But the pommel of the weapon was the most unique thing about it. It was stylized as a golden fox, and looked beautiful.

"Naruto, this is too much!" Ino said, as she crossed the distance between them and kissed him. He swept her off her feet and returned her kiss. He said, "For what you've given me, this is nothing." They broke apart and then Naruto said, "Hold on. I'll show you some of the cool things I've added into it."

He continued, "The entire pole is made of the titanium and steel alloy, making it almost impossible to break. It's covered with a gold plating to prevent it from getting corroded or rusty. Plus the steel blade also has titanium built into it, for giving it a boost in strength. I've chakra bonded the weapon so it will only work for me, and for you, should you ever need to use it. If anyone else touches it, the weapon will emit a small Lightning Trident into that person's hand, and will be teleported back to my… I mean, our house."

Ino stared at the weapon, amazed, and Naruto said, "It also intercepts all jutsus except S-Ranked ones and negates them, so any attempt to use a jutsu against me will not work at all. I can simply hold this in front of me and laugh my ass off as my opponent stares at me dumbfounded." Ino said, in disbelief, "I don't believe that. How can it resist all the five types of chakra? That's impossible!"

Naruto said, "I thought you might not believe me. That's why I'm going to take it to Kakashi sensei and have him test it with five different jutsus of five elements. We'll see how my weapon does against them." Ino nodded, still struck dumb by the amazing weapon that Naruto had created. Then she asked, "What about the pommel? Why did you use the fox design?" Naruto smiled and said, "So everyone who faces the staff blade may know that they're about to go head to head with the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails!"

Ino smiled. Naruto then sent a little wind chakra into the weapon and the blade suddenly turned bright green, extending over three feet in length and four feet in width. The staff blade had suddenly turned into a broadsword.

Ino stared as Naruto said, "Wind chakra is sharper than any metal in the world. If I need to cut anything instantly, all I have to do is infuse my wind chakra into the weapon." Ino suddenly noticed that while the wind blade had been created, the eyes of the fox on the weapon glowed. She said, "Why are the fox's eyes glowing green?" Naruto smiled at her observation and then released the wind blade. He then infused another chakra into the weapon and the fox's eyes turned purple.

Ino looked up at the weapon, which was now a whip of deep purple lightning, extending from the pommel over the blade and 5 feet further. At the same time, the fox's eyes were now glowing purple. She realized, 'The eyes glow to inform which kind of chakra Naruto is using at that moment.'

Naruto said, "This glow in the fox's eyes is not for decoration, Ino." Ino looked at him, confused and he said, "Just a moment." In his psyche, Naruto said, "Hey fox, give me a little chakra." The fox sneered at him, "**Why should I, knucklehead?**" But the fox was a little intrigued at the new weapon that Naruto had crafted. Naruto said, "If you don't, I'll irritate the hell out of you."

"**Oh?**" the fox pretended to think. Then he said, "**And how would you do that?**" Naruto smirked, "I'll hum and sing and dance in here. All the stupidest songs I can think of. Until you give me your chakra just to shut me up." The Kyuubi shuddered and said, "**Alright, alright. But only because even I'm curious as to what you're up to.**" As he returned to the surface, Ino noticed that Naruto's eyes had turned red. As she began to back away, Naruto said, "Don't worry, I'm using the fox's chakra, but I'm in full control. Look at this."

Ino saw the fox's eyes on the weapon turn red, and the blade of the weapon suddenly extended to around seven feet from the pommel and became rough and serrated like a shark's teeth. It looked like a mix of Zabuza's and Kisame's sword rather than a staff blade now. Naruto said, "If the weapon ever does this without me telling you that I'm doing it, it means that the fox is influencing me. The staff blade will indicate that, and you will have to find some way to subdue me. Alright?" With that, he let go of the fox's chakra and his eyes turned back to cerulean blue. In his psyche, the demon went crazy, suddenly understanding why Naruto wanted his chakra. '**He wanted the girl to see how the weapon would be under my influence! He pulled one on me! I'll crush you, Naruto!**'

Naruto simple smirked and said to the demon, "Thank you for your co-operation."

Ino said, "You've crafted quite a weapon, Naruto. It's wonderful!" He smiled and said, "All this work has made me hungry. And I'm a little low on chakra too. Let's get something to eat, shall we?" Ino nodded.

As they exited the training ground, a voice called out to them. They turned to see Sakura running towards them. She said, "I thought I would miss you guys here. My shift just got over at the hospital so I came over to see what Naruto had created." Naruto held out the staff blade and sent a tiny thread of chakra into it, so that the blade would not react under Sakura's hands. Sakura held the blade and said, "This is a training tool, Naruto!" Naruto said, "I know. But you'll understand later, Sakura." Sakura looked at the design and saw the word Naruto had written on the pole. She gasped and looked at Ino, who looked back at her and smiled.

"So, you guys, huh?" Sakura said, with an odd emptiness in her voice. Naruto and Ino nodded simultaneously, and Sakura said, "Well, good for you. But make sure you reign him in, Ino. This guy's a peeper." Ino smiled and said, "Oh, no need to worry about that. After all, do you really think he needs to peep, with me there for him?" Naruto blushed moderately at the implications of that statement. Sakura handed over the weapon to Naruto, who stuck it in his belt. He said, "So long, Sakura. We're going to get something to eat. Unless you wanna join us?"

Sakura said, "No, I need to get home. Otherwise, mom will start worrying. See ya."

Ino said, "I'm glad Sakura didn't join us. I wanted some alone time with you." Naruto blushed again as he said, "What for?" She simply grinned wickedly.

As they exited Ichiraku's, Naruto sighing happily, Ino said, "First one to get home will get to shower first!" And she rushed off. Naruto, never one to back down from a challenge, gave a mock roar and chased off after her. The two of them raced across the rooftops, attracting attention as they ran across walls as well. As they reached their building, Ino suddenly ran up the wall and jumped straight into the balcony. She entered the house and looked behind her to see where Naruto was. To her surprise, someone caught her from behind and kissed her on the neck. She looked around in amazement to see Naruto grinning back at her.

"How did you get in front of me?" Ino asked in bewilderment. Naruto smirked and said, "I have a secret." Ino demanded, "Are you going to tell me or do I have to do it myself?" He said, "It won't be any good. The secret is in the part of the mind which I have blocked." Ino suddenly understood and nodded. Naruto said, "Well, I guess I'll take my shower now." Ino grinned cunningly and whispered in his ear, "I have a better idea. How about we shower together?"

**Author's Note:** Hey, what's up guys, here's another chapter for you guys. I wanted to make a couple of things clear which weren't. Some of my reviews said that my story is going too fast. I'm sorry for that, but you have to realize that this is my first story, so I need time to improve. Also, about Naruto's Rasenshuriken. In my fic, Naruto created the Rasenshuriken while training with Jiraiya, not in the Wind Element Arc of Naruto Shippuden. And about not being able to throw it without Sage Mode, well... According to me, Naruto can do anything in his psyche. So throwing the Rasenshuriken shouldn't be an issue. Alright, that's about it. I hope you guys are satisfied with my explanation. Anyway, review and of course, Happy Reading!


	18. Chapter 18:Testing Kitsune

**Chapter 18: Testing Kitsune; The Chunin Exams Training!**

Naruto woke up, and got out of bed, yawning. He went into the bathroom and started brushing his teeth sleepily. Just then, a voice startled him, "Good morning, sleepyhead!" Naruto looked back to see Ino smiling at him. She was in full uniform. He said, "Ino, do you have a mission?" She shook her head and said, "Today is my teaching duty." Naruto looked at her, confused and said, "Oh yeah, Kakashi sensei mentioned that a couple days back. What are teaching duties?"

Ino explained, "Well, every Chunin or higher ranked Ninja has to take a class once every year, and teach them something outside the academy syllabus. It gives the academy rookies a little more knowledge and shapes them up for the outside world." Naruto indicated his understanding and went back to brushing. Meanwhile, Ino went to the kitchen and started making sandwiches. Naruto took a shower and then went back to his room. He grinned as he thought of his shower last night.

As they both sat eating breakfast, Ino said, "So what are you going to do today, Naruto?" He replied, "I was thinking of getting Kakashi sensei to help me test the limits of my Kitsune." Ino's eyes shot up in surprise and he said, "My staff blade. Kitsune is its name." Ino blinked and thought, 'Naming a weapon after a fox. Well, it is unusual, but then Naruto isn't the most ordinary guy in the world.'

"Alright, Naruto. I have to get going, I'm teaching the kids a little about refining chakra control. See you later!" She pecked him on the cheek and was gone the next moment. Naruto took his time finishing his breakfast, and then did the dishes. He then locked up the house and left as well, calling up Kakashi sensei as he did. "Hey, sensei. Do you have time today?" Kakashi replied, "Yeah, I'm free today. Why?" Naruto said, "I wanted to show you what I was going to show you the day before yesterday."

Kakashi said, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Meet me at training ground 7 in fifteen minutes." Naruto said, "How about I just come over to the Memorial Stone and we can go together?" Kakashi blinked, and said, "How did you…"

Naruto said, "You go there every day, sensei, do you really think I wouldn't know by now?" Kakashi sheepishly said, "Alright, get over here."

Fifteen minutes later, the two of them were at the training ground. Kakashi said, "So what is it that you wanted to show me?" Naruto signed, "Weapon Summoning Jutsu!" Kitsune appeared in his right hand and he negated its defense as he handed it over to Kakashi. Kakashi observed the weapon and said, "This is extremely exquisite craftsmanship. Where did you get it from, Naruto? I can't imagine even Iguromo making such a weapon."

Naruto smirked and said, "I made it, sensei."

Kakashi's eye shot up in utter disbelief and said, "What? Do you mean you designed it?" Naruto shook his head and said, "I crafted it." Kakashi simply stared at him and Naruto explained, "I used the Weapon Forge Jutsu to make it."

Kakashi uncovered his left eye and gazed at the weapon using his Sharingan. Under the influence of his eye, he saw the chakra strings that were meticulously built into the weapon. He finally said, "Where did you learn the jutsu, Naruto?" Naruto smiled and said, "All in good time, sensei." Kakashi nodded and said, "Well, is there anything else, apart from showing me the weapon?"

Naruto said, "I want you to hit Kitsune with some jutsus. I want to see how strong it is." Kakashi stared at him and Naruto said, "I've named it Kitsune." Kakashi understood and said, "What jutsu should I use first?" Naruto said promptly, "The Rasengan." Kakashi's eyes widened.

As Kakashi thrust the ball of chakra into Kitsune, a grinding noise occurred from the staff blade and suddenly, the Rasengan unraveled, and Kitsune shone for a moment. Then it returned to normal and Naruto said, "Kitsune negates almost all jutsus. I wanted to test most of them, and who better to ask than the ninja who has copied over a thousand jutsus?" Kakashi nodded and signed, "Lightning Blade!"

Again and again, Naruto's weapon weathered the attack without a single scratch. They went at it for a couple of hours, before Kakashi started getting winded, and Naruto handed him a food pill. Naruto said, "All right, sensei. I guess that's enough for now. I think Kitsune will do well." Kakashi nodded, saying, "That is an unbelievable weapon, Naruto. I have a favor to ask of you." Naruto asked, "What is it, sensei?"

Kakashi said, "Can you craft me a special chokuto? I used to handle one when I was in the ANBU and I've been wondering about getting another one to use again, now that both of my students have their own weapons. I also want to see the Weapon Forge Jutsu in action." Naruto nodded and said, "But I'll need money, sensei. To get the best materials and stuff. This baby here set me back by almost 300 grand." Kakashi said, "Don't worry about the money. Just make sure you craft a weapon as awesome as that one."

Naruto nodded and said, "I better show it to Grandma Tsunade and tell her to record it into my report." Kakashi nodded, and sighed, "I better get going too. I need to meet Gai. He's challenged me again." They both took off.

"I can't believe that you've made this, Naruto," Tsunade looked at the weapon and said. Naruto simply smiled. She asked for the weapon and he said, "One moment." He disabled the defense and she looked at him questioningly. He said, "It works only for me. And well…" Tsunade looked at the design on the pole and smirked at him. "Getting serious, are we?" He scratched his cheek and smiled sheepishly.

'I'm happy for you, Naruto. You've been lucky to find a girl who loves you so much,' Tsunade thought as she examined the weapon. It was perfectly balanced and showed off remarkable craftsmanship. She put her entire strength into the weapon and it didn't even budge. "Wonderful. You have quite some skill in crafting, Naruto." He smiled at the praise. She said, "I'll update the record. Of course, I don't put in the Weapon Forge Jutsu, do I?" He shook his head. She said, "Ok, then. And before you go, did Kakashi inform you of the Chunin Exams?"

Naruto said, "Yes, he did. And I'm going for it this time." Tsunade shook her head and said, "You can't pass the exam on your own, you know. You need a team to pass the Chunin exams. If you don't have at least one partner, you are not eligible to participate." Naruto just stood there, staring at her. She said, "I know what you're thinking, Naruto. But these rules have been set by the Council of Shadows, and I cannot break them for a single shinobi, even if that shinobi is you."

Naruto silently turned and went back out of the room. Tsunade let him go, and thought sadly, 'I wish it were otherwise, Naruto, but I can't help it.' Naruto walked away, barely looking at anyone, his feet taking him automatically to the place he needed to go, to empty his head.

As he stared out to the village from atop the Fourth Hokage's head, he realized, 'I can't just sit around doing nothing. I gotta go ask around if anyone is interested in being my teammate for the Chunin exams. Yeah, that could work. But who? All my batch mates except Sasuke are Chunin already, and Sasuke of course, is out of question. So who?'

As he thought, an idea hit him and he jumped off the head of the Hokage, landing on top of Ninja Ops. He hit the streets and ran to training ground 14, where he knew Konohamaru was training with his team. He reached there in record time and went in. Konohamaru looked at him and waved, "Hey boss! How are you?"

Naruto said, "I want to talk to you in private, Ko." The Third Hokage's grandson nodded and came over to him, out of Moegi and Udon's earshot. He said, "What is it, boss? Did you need something?" Naruto said, "Do you think you are ready for the Chunin exams, Ko?" Konohamaru looked up at Naruto in surprise and said, "What? Why, boss?"

Naruto said, "You know that I've gone off for training in the last three years, so I wasn't able to make Chunin then, along with my class mates. So when I learned today that the Chunin exams are taking place next month, I decided to enter. However, Grandma Tsunade told me that I need at least one partner to take the exams with me. So I thought of asking you."

Konohamaru looked down to the ground and said apologetically, "Boss, as much as I would like to accompany you, I don't think I'm ready for the exams yet. I've only just mastered a couple of jutsus, and I don't think that I'm strong enough to fight in the exams. I mean, look at me. Do you honestly think I'm ready?"

Naruto said, "If you said yes, we would have a month to train. And to be bluntly honest with you, Ko, I'm as strong as a Chunin already, easily bordering on Jonin. If it wasn't necessary for the partner thing, I would already have registered myself for the exams. And think of how much stronger you would get in the one month of training that we would do."

Konohamaru's face brightened as he considered that. In the brief training that Naruto had given him, he had already learned the Rasengan. He wondered whether he could actually do it. Naruto pressed, "And it's not like I'll let you get injured or anything. I'll look after you, Ko. You just need to be there for the team's sake. And who knows, you might make Chunin the first in your batch. Think about it, and meet me at Ichiraku's today for lunch." That being said, Naruto vanished and Konohamaru returned to his teammates.

Naruto reached Ichiraku's and ordered a bowl of ramen. Ayame came to give him his ramen and said, "What's the matter, Naruto-kun? You look awfully down today." Naruto looked up at her and smiled sadly, "Hi, Ayame nee-san. It's just that I'm the only one in my batch who's remained a Genin till now. And even though I know that it doesn't mean I'm weak, it still remains my official position. And I want to change that soon. But I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it, considering that I need partners. I asked Konohamaru but he thinks he's too weak right now to participate. And I can't force him, ya know?"

Ayame ruffled his hair fondly and said, "Don't worry, Naruto-kun. I'm sure that everything will work out just fine. Have faith in yourself and in your comrades. Now, eat up before the ramen gets cold."

He smiled at her and said, "Thanks, Ayame nee-san. You always seem to find the right words to make me happier. Especially the word ramen."

Just then Konohamaru entered the restaurant. He found Naruto and sat in front of him, saying, "Let's do it." Naruto stared at him in surprise and Ayame smiled, suddenly seeing a younger version of Naruto inside Konohamaru. She went back to get another bowl of ramen for Konohamaru, who was telling Naruto, "I spoke to my team and they said that I should give it a shot. After all, I know that you won't let anything happen to me, so what's there to try? And I **can **get a lot stronger if you train me."

Naruto said, "Whoa whoa whoa whoa, time out. I'm happy that you are participating, but I'm not gonna be training you. We both are gonna be training under someone I know and trust. We need to work more on teamwork and knowing each other for the Chunin exams."

Konohamaru's face fell slightly, and Naruto quickly said, "But that doesn't mean I won't teach you any new jutsus. I have some cool stuff to teach you. So chin up, Ko!" He looked at the younger Genin's face, which had lit up like a firework, and smiled. Then Konohamaru asked, "So, who are we gonna be training with?"

Naruto said, "I'll need to talk to him about this, but I think we'll get him, alright. I'll tell you when he agrees." That being said, the two of them tucked in and had a wonderful lunch. Naruto paid for the meal, saying, "My treat, coz you just made my day." Konohamaru beamed and said, "Well, see you later then, boss!" He turned to leave and Naruto said, "Hey Ko." The younger Genin turned and said, "Yeah?" Naruto said, "Don't call me boss. Just call me Naruto or bro or something like that, alright?" Konohamaru nodded and said, "A-Okay bro!"

Naruto went back to the Ninja Ops and shunshined into Tsunade's office. She said exasperatedly, "What now, Naruto!" He said, "I found a teammate for the Chunin exams." She leaned forward in surprise and asked, "Who is it?" He replied, "Konohamaru."

Tsunade looked at him in astonishment and said, "Do you honestly think he will be ready for this?" Naruto shook his head and she asked, "Then why are you taking him?" Naruto said, "I need Kakashi sensei." The Hokage looked at him in shock again and said, "What for?" Naruto replied, "Kakashi sensei is a great teacher for improving teamwork and skills. And I know him well, and can work with him easily. Konohamaru also respects Kakashi sensei a great deal, and will no doubt flip if he hears that he is going to train with him."

Tsunade looked at his serious face and said, "I guess you're right. I'll schedule three weeks of training for you guys with Kakashi. Go and inform him personally." Naruto nodded and took off. She thought, 'The knucklehead might actually pull this off."

Naruto reached Kakashi's favorite haunt, and said, "Oye, Kakashi sensei!"

Kakashi looked back at him and smiled his eye smile, "Hey, Naruto. Did you need something?" Naruto nodded and said, "I need you to train Konohamaru and me for three weeks for the upcoming Chunin exams." Kakashi said, "What? But I can't take out three weeks out of my schedule! Lady Tsunade would kill me!"

Naruto smirked and said, "I covered all the bases this time, sensei. I already got her permission. So you don't need to worry at all." Kakashi relaxed and said, "Well, in that case, I guess there's no problem. But this training will be different then, won't it, Naruto? I'll have to focus it on teamwork." Naruto agreed, "I was expecting you'd say that. I already told Konohamaru that we would need to work more on teamwork."

Kakashi said, "Well then. Inform Konohamaru that we shall head out tomorrow at 8AM to the same place where you and Sakura trained." Naruto nodded and took off. Kakashi thought, 'Let's see what Konohamaru is made of. If he's half as persistent as Naruto is, then they'll make a fine team.'

Konohamaru almost jumped for joy when he heard Naruto saying that Kakashi was going to train them. "Are you positive, bro? Kakashi Hatake, The Copy Ninja, is going to train us?" Naruto nodded, smiling at Konohamaru's joy. He said, "Kakashi sensei is my teacher, after all. Make sure you respect him and learn everything he tells you with all your heart." Konohamaru said fiercely, "I would even give my life for training with one of the elite ninjas in the village!"

Naruto said, "Pack your bag. We're gonna be heading outside the village for the training. It's a place near the village but far enough that we will not be disturbed. So pack your tent and stuff. Meet me at the village gates at 9AM." Konohamaru said, "Sure, bro! I'll get started with the packing right away!"

Naruto went back home and found the door slightly ajar. He went in and found Ino watching TV, wearing one of Naruto's long shirts and nothing else. He blushed slightly as he saw her long shapely legs stretching out onto the small tea table in front of the couch. He crept in slowly, making no noise, which was no small feat for him. Ino was so absorbed in the TV show, she didn't even notice him. He stood behind her and then shut her eyes with his hands. Ino squealed and said, "Naruto?" He whispered in her ear, "Damn right!"

Then he went in front of her and said, "Come on, Ino. How could you leave the door open like that? Anyone could have come in. And where's your attention? A ninja must always be alert." She smirked at him and stood up. Because of her curves, his shirt strained at her bosom. He blushed moderately and she put her arms around his neck. She said, "Do you really think I didn't notice you? I was waiting for you to pull something on me, **ya know**. And I also saw your shadow when you were standing behind me. I'm not entirely dumb, unlike someone else in this room."

Naruto, who had been getting embarrassed that she had seen right through his attempt, suddenly yelled, "Hey! I'm not that dumb too!" She laughed and said, "You get upset so easily, Naruto-kun. Now I'll have to do something for you to make you happy again." He grinned at her and pulled her closer to him. She smiled and leaned in. They kissed each other, and she fell backwards onto the couch. He leaned in further and they continued the kiss. Just as things were starting to heat up, Naruto broke off and they both sighed.

Ino said, "Naruto, I know that you don't want to spoil our first time, but by that argument, we could end up waiting forever." Naruto sighed again and said, "I know, Ino. It's just that every time I get a weird feeling in my stomach telling me to stop. I don't even know why. I guess I'll just have to wait till it's gone."

Ino smiled and said, "You know I'm willing to wait forever for you."

The two of them went back to watching TV, Ino cuddling in to Naruto as he sat there, trying to ignore the fact that Ino wasn't wearing anything under that shirt of his. Then Ino got up to make dinner and he said, "I'll help." They both went off to the kitchen. Ino said, "Wait, I'll change into my apron." Naruto said, "I'll get started with cutting the vegetables." She smiled and went to her room. He couldn't help but watch her saunter as she went.

Naruto was just finishing cutting the vegetables when Ino came into the kitchen again. He looked back to see her and his eyes nearly fell out of their socket. He sucked his thumb which had begun bleeding heavily as he cut it. Ino was standing in front of him, wearing seemingly nothing but her apron and looking at him cutely. She said, "Is this nice?" He said, "If you're trying to make me desperate, then hell yeah. If you're trying to cook though, you'll need to wear something else, coz this is waaaaay too distracting."

She leaned in slightly and he noticed that she was wearing light innerwear underneath. Naruto said, "Go and change before my instincts take over." She went back and changed into some normal clothes before coming back and helping him with the dinner. Throughout this entire time, Naruto was thinking just one thing, "I am such an **idiot**!"

The two of them finished food and were digging into a carton of ice-cream, when suddenly Naruto's phone rang. He picked it up and said, "Yeah?" Tsunade's voice sounded on the other end. "Come to Ninja Ops immediately, Naruto." Hearing the seriousness in her voice, Naruto didn't question her and said, "I'll be there right away."

As Naruto changed into his uniform, he heard Ino's voice behind him, "What happened, Naruto? Something urgent?" He replied, "Grandma Tsunade called me in. Something must be up. I'll check it out and call you if I'm going to take time." He kissed her lightly before heading out. Ino went back and finished her ice-cream, wondering what the matter could be.

"That was fast, Naruto. How did you make it here so quickly? I imagine you must have taken time to change and all," Tsunade said, and he grinned. She remembered his secret and said, "Oh, right." Naruto said, "So, why did you call me in so late, Grandma?" She looked at him annoyed, and said, "I'm waiting for Kakashi and Sakura. And how many times have I got to tell you not to call me that!"

Naruto smirked. Just as he was going to make a cutting remark, Kakashi shunshined into the room. Sakura also entered the room at the same time, although she used the door. Kakashi inquired, "Anything urgent, Milady?"

Lady Tsunade said, "Well, I'll leave that up to you. I just received information from my spy network that Orochimaru is no more." Team 7 gaped at her and she said, "That's right. And Sasuke is the one who is said to have killed him." Naruto said, "What? Sasuke killed Orochimaru? Why?" The Hokage said, "I don't have a clue as of now, but I sure as hell intend to find out."

Sakura said, "Well, if Sasuke is no longer with Orochimaru, then what is he going to do now?" Tsunade looked at them, but Kakashi sighed and said, "He will probably try to kill Itachi. That is his lifelong goal, after all." Naruto and Sakura looked at their sensei, and he sighed. 'If only you would have not left the village, Sasuke, I could have helped you forget this stupid goal of yours.' Kakashi thought. Tsunade said, "We must remain vigilant. Itachi is yet a dangerous shinobi and if he captures Naruto for the Akatsuki, we can be sure that Sasuke won't be far behind." Sakura glanced at Naruto, who was looking determined. The knucklehead said, "Well, if that's what will happen, then why not stage a kidnapping with someone impersonated as Itachi? That way, we can get a lead on Sasuke as well."

Everyone stared at him in surprise and Tsunade began to speak, but Kakashi interposed, "It won't work. Sasuke has the Mangekyo Sharingan now, remember. His eyes are much stronger than they were before. He will see right through any attempt at an impersonation." Naruto nodded slowly and said, "Well, we just have to remain on watch then. Is there anything else, Grandma…" He blanched, as her right eyebrow twitched and she crackled her knuckles menacingly, and he quickly said, "I mean Tsunade nee-san!"

Sakura giggled slightly before the Hokage said, "Both of you can go now, I wish to speak to Kakashi alone." The two of them walked off, and Tsunade leaned in. She said, "Has Jiraiya spoken to you about Itachi?" Kakashi shook his head and said, "I haven't met Master Jiraiya in the past few days. It seems he has left the village again, but I have no doubt he will return soon, and tell me whatever there is to tell."

The Fifth Hokage closed her eyes, and seemed to recall something. Then she said, "It will take time for our plan to work. However, we must make sure that Naruto is not captured. At least, not so soon." Kakashi said, "Don't worry about that. Master Jiraiya said that he had a plan for Naruto when he came back. Presumably some more training."

Tsunade said, "By the way, I heard you accepted the training request Naruto put in for you?" Kakashi said, "Yes, I felt that it would greatly improve Naruto's strength as well as Konohamaru's. I've seen the potential in the grandson of the Third, and I'm sure that he can become an elite ninja too." Tsunade nodded and said, "Dismissed."

The next day, Naruto met Konohamaru at the gates. Konohamaru goggled at Ino, who was standing next to Naruto, wearing a simple tank top and shorts. Naruto smiled slightly and said, "Eyes off, Ko, that's my girl you're staring at." Konohamaru blushed and looked down, saying, "Sorry, bro, I didn't mean to..." Ino laughed at his embarrassment and he looked back up to see her standing right in front of him. She ruffled his hair and said, "It's okay, I'm used to this sort of stuff. You're like a brother to me, anyway, Ko."

Just then, Kakashi popped out of nowhere and Ino went back to Naruto, and whispered in his ear, "I'm waiting for you." He said, "I'll be back every day at least once." She stared at him in ludicrous surprise and he smirked, tapping his head and said, "Secret." She smiled and saw the three males take off, before walking over to Ichiraku's.

As Kakashi took the lead, Konohamaru asked Naruto, "When did you get together with Ino-san, bro?" Naruto said, "Some time back, after I had finished a week long mission at the Land of Waves." Konohamaru said, "She's really pretty, bro. I hope Moegi turns just as…" he blushed as Naruto looked at him and smirked. Naruto said, "Moegi, huh?" Konohamaru blushed even more and Naruto proceeded to torture him for the next ten minutes, before they reached the clearing.

Kakashi said, "Alright. Set up your tents and stuff. We'll meet up in exactly fifteen minutes from now. I'm going to get some fruits and water." The two of them nodded, Naruto frowning a little. As Kakashi disappeared, Naruto thought, "Sensei has been really quiet today. Did Grandma Tsunade say something to him?" Konohamaru was building his tent, so Naruto put the thought out of his head and went ahead with his own tent. He took out his scroll and released his tent. Konohamaru looked at him in awe and said, "Wow, bro! How did you do that?" Naruto smiled and said, "I'll teach you when we make Chunin." Konohamaru nodded enthusiastically.

After Kakashi came back and they began to plan stuff, the Sharingan master asked, "Now, first of all, I need to know your battle skills, Konohamaru. And the Sexy Jutsu is not part of your battle skills, so don't even think about it." Konohamaru looked mildly embarrassed and then said, "I know all the basic academy styles of TaiJutsu. Bro has begun teaching me the Hard Fist style, although I'm not really great at it. I also know the Rasengan, and the Shadow Clone Jutsu. My primary affinity is earth style, and I don't know my secondary affinity yet."

Kakashi uncovered his Sharingan and observed Konohamaru for a few seconds. He then said, "Your secondary affinity is lightning, the same as Naruto. That's good. I can teach you some lightning jutsus, while Naruto can improve upon those I taught him the last time." Naruto frowned and said, "But sensei, the last time, you said that I could use all of the lightning jutsus at their intended rank." Kakashi said, "But that does not mean that you can't make them even better. Knowing the amount of chakra you have, you can easily take out a couple of dozen or so shinobi with a single lightning jutsu."

Konohamaru stared at Naruto with his eyes wide, while Naruto tried to look modest. He said, "If you say so, sensei." Kakashi turned towards Konohamaru and said, "Meanwhile, I'll teach you some earth jutsus, mostly support style, so that you can distract Naruto's opponents during battle. That will make enemies think that you are a ranged fighter, and will be unprepared for your Rasengan if they get too close." Konohamaru nodded.

"Alright, then. Let's get started," Kakashi said.

As the day progressed, Naruto and Konohamaru learned to keep a look out for each other at all times. It was easier for Konohamaru, because he was smaller, and had a lesser chance of being attacked. And Naruto stood out, with his orange uniform, so he was in more danger of being attacked, anyway. Later Kakashi made them fight each other, made them create Shadow Clones, made the Shadow Clones fight each other, and so on. At the end of the first day, Konohamaru slumped to the ground and wheezed, "How are you still not tired, bro?" Naruto smiled, saying, "I'm a lot stronger than you, Ko. You are young, so don't worry about it. You're stamina will increase slowly as well. And I guess that by the time this training ends, you'll be stronger than any other Genin in the village." Konohamaru looked at him happily and thought, 'I made the right decision, to enter the Chunin exams.'

As Konohamaru went to sleep, Naruto said, "I'm going to stretch my legs, sensei. I'll be back in half an hour." Kakashi looked up from his book and said, "Alright, Naruto. See you." Naruto vanished.

Ino opened the door and an orange blur came in. She looked to see Naruto standing there, grinning at her. She smiled and said, "I didn't take you seriously when you said you would come by at least once. I guess I was wrong." She hugged him and then they sat on the couch, Ino asking, "So, what did you guys do?" Naruto said, "We trained to look after each other's back today. So that we can help each other in sticky situations." Ino nodded, knowing that this was really important when it came to teamwork. They continued to speak for some time, before Naruto said, "I better get going now. See you tomorrow, Ino-chan." He pecked her lips and was gone the next second. She sighed, 'Always so impatient, Naruto.'

The next day, Kakashi taught Konohamaru the Lightning Trident jutsu. Meanwhile, Naruto was focusing on creating his lightning tridents much larger in size. This was easier for him, what with his huge chakra supply. At the end of the day, Konohamaru had managed to create three small tridents of lightning, while Naruto had skewered several trees as he managed to create twelve huge tridents of deep purple lightning. Konohamaru said, "You're amazing, bro!" Naruto said, "Keep up your hard work, and you'll be able to do the same quite soon, Ko."

In the next few days, Konohamaru learnt two Earth jutsus, the Stone Jacket Jutsu and the Stone Spears Jutsu. Both could be used at long range, which allowed the enemy to be distracted. The Stone Jacket jutsu was a jutsu which opened up the ground next to the victim, and covered the victim with the stone up to his neck. The Stone Spears jutsu created large spears which erupted from the ground, impaling the victim. Kakashi was astonished at how fast Konohamaru learned from him. It was like Naruto all over again. After a week, Kakashi took a look at Konohamaru through his Sharingan and paled, 'His chakra reserves have almost surpassed mine! Incredible!'

Naruto had also learned the Earth jutsus and was able to master them easily too. Kakashi thought, 'Naruto is easily a Jonin level shinobi right now. If I could, I would just promote him directly to Chunin, without even making him take these stupid exams.'

Konohamaru felt himself get stronger and stronger every day. Soon, he was able to hold his own against Kakashi in a fair TaiJutsu fight, which was astonishing, since Kakashi knew over a hundred different TaiJutsu styles, having copied them from others. Naruto, meanwhile, had improved his Lightning and Wind jutsus to S-Rank level, far beyond their normal ranks which he had first learned.

In these three weeks, Naruto had also been training with his staff blade, and using it to improve his TaiJutsu styles, by mixing in the staff blade attacks with the Hard Fist and Iron Monk styles. Kakashi had recorded his movements with his Sharingan and was eager to try them out, once Naruto would make his weapon for him.

As the three weeks ended, Kakashi said, "Well done, you two. Konohamaru has improved way more than I thought he would. And Naruto already is a Chunin, just not officially. I will recommend you to attend the Chunin exams, you will no doubt make it through easily." And he thought, 'As long as Naruto doesn't fail the first test.'

The two of them high-fived and packed up their stuff. Naruto said, "Come on, Ko! Last one to Ichiraku's pays for the ramen!" Konohamaru said, "Ha! You're on, bro!" The two of them vanished and Kakashi smiled at them. The two of them reminded him of himself and Gai. 'Those were the days,' Kakashi thought, as he walked home slowly, feeling all the pain that he had been subjected to while fighting Naruto and Konohamaru in these last few weeks.

Naruto reached Ichiraku's first and popped in. He said, "Two bowls of ramen, old man!" Teuchi looked at him and said, "Naruto! Where were you, kiddo! I lost so much of business in the last month because you weren't there!" Just then Konohamaru came in and said, "I almost got you, bro. I'll beat you soon too!"

Teuchi blinked and said, "Is that you, Konohamaru? You've changed a lot. Where were you all this time?" The two of them said, "We were off training for the Chunin exams." Teuchi slid their bowls of ramen to them and said, "Well, best of luck for them, then. This time, I heard that the Mizukage and Kazekage will both be attending the exams. So make sure to put up one hell of a show." They both nodded, and Naruto said, "It'll be good to see Gaara again." Konohamaru paused, looking at him and saying, "Isn't that the creepy sand guy whose brother tried to beat me at the last Chunin exams here?" Naruto nodded and said, "He's the Fifth Kazekage now, so you better respect him. Although he's become very different now, ever since I fought him." Konohamaru smiled, "You're really awesome, bro."

As they exited Ichiraku's, Naruto said, "Well, Ko. Since we're gonna be a team now, we should wear something similar, ya know? To promote team spirit." Konohamaru said, "As long as it's not orange, I'll wear anything." Naruto shook his head disappointedly, and they went to Yoroi's clothing shop. An hour later, two different looking shinobi came out. Both were wearing jet black jumpsuits, and matching white overcoats, with a tribal red design on them and with their names printed on the back. They both walked off, and heads turned as they passed by.

Sakura was just leaving the hospital when she saw the two of them walk past, and she thought, 'Was that Naruto? Since when did he stop wearing orange? And who was that with him?' She followed the two of them, until they reached Konohamaru's house. His mother opened the door and said, "Who are you?" before realizing that it was her son. She hugged him and said, "You look so different, I didn't even recognize you! You look so grown up and handsome!"

Naruto felt awkward and turned away, suddenly missing his mother. Just then, a tap on his shoulder compelled him to turn around. Konohamaru's mother smiled at him warmly. She hugged him and said, "You're like a son to me too, Naruto. You've helped my son change so much. I hope that you will have a wonderful life ahead of you." Naruto smiled radiantly.

As he walked home, Naruto suddenly found himself face to face with Sakura. He said, "Oh hey, Sakura. What are you doing here?" Sakura said, "Well, I'll be. You look so much more different, Naruto. You actually look like a man now, compared to an orange scarecrow before." He yelled, "Hey! What was that?" She giggled. He scratched his cheek and said, "It's temporary. Only until the Chunin exams get over." Sakura said, "If you wear that orange uniform again, I'll make sure that I burn all of them." Naruto blanched.

"Anyway, I have to go now, Sakura, I need to fill out the forms for the Chunin exams." Sakura nodded, and said, "Best of luck, Naruto. I'll be there watching you, so make sure you give it your best." He took off, and she watched him go, wondering what this sudden light feeling in her heart was.

Naruto entered the Ninja Ops and knocked on Tsunade's office. She said, "Come in." Naruto entered, and Tsunade looked at him. She stared at him for a couple of minutes before joining her hands together and saying, "Release!" She tried it a couple more times and then said, "Naruto? Is it really you wearing something other than orange?" Naruto grumbled, "I do wear other colored clothes, ya know!"

"Well, at least you look more like a human now," Tsunade said. He said, "I need the form for the Chunin exams." She handed him the form and he took off. He went home and Ino opened the door. He kissed her and then came in. She blinked in surprise. "Naruto? What have you worn?" He said, "Like my new outfit? I made it for the Chunin exams." She said, "Damn! You look hot!" He blushed slightly and said, "Really?" She nodded and said, "If it weren't for that agreement to go slow…" He blushed even more and then sat down to fill the form. He filled in his name along with Konohamaru's. Ino said, "Let's go out somewhere. I'm bored of just training alone all this time." Naruto grinned.

**Author's Note**: Sorry for the delay, I was suddenly hit by writer's block. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter, review and Happy Reading!


	19. Chapter 19: Naruto's Choice

**Author's Note**: Shout out to Laurie for her review. Thanks a lot :) Anyway, I wanted to say thanks to you guys for following my story. The only thing that peeves me is that more than a thousand people have read it so far and I still have only 29 reviews. :(

Well, never mind. I guess there's time before I get some more reviews, and I'm fully prepared to take any criticism as well. Please review, no matter whether it is good or bad. I always reply to reviews and try to explain my views to them. So, without further ado, here's my next chapter. Have fun and Happy Reading!

**Chapter 19: Naruto's Choice: Exams or Mission?**

The two of them went out for a date that evening, to celebrate Naruto's coming back to the village, although he had been coming back every evening. They went to a restaurant and dance club, called the Dancing Shuriken. The two of them had dinner and then Naruto asked her, "You wanna hit the dance floor?" Ino looked at him in surprise and said, "I didn't think you could dance. I never saw you at our academy dance lessons." He said, "I used to avoid those, because I didn't think anybody would wanna dance with me." She said, "I would have." He said, "Well, it's never too late, is it?"

Naruto led her to the dance floor and they began to dance. Ino was surprised at how well he could dance. She asked him, "Where did you learn to dance so well?" Naruto said, "The Pervy Sage taught me. When he realized I couldn't dance, he stopped all my training until I could dance. And I found myself enjoying it too." He and Ino got a wide berth as the other people admired their speed and grace. The two of them finished dancing on a particularly jazzy number and Naruto dipped Ino low. He kissed her lightly, and they both returned to their table to tumultuous applause. Both blushed slightly, never having kissed in public before.

"Damn, they're good," the brunette woman looked at her paramour and said. He nodded and said, "Where did he learn to dance like that? He never attended the dance classes at the academy." The brunette turned to him and said, "Thank god we weren't noticed by that knucklehead before we could transform. He would've tormented me the rest of my life if he would have found out." Her boyfriend nodded, "I know, Anko. If he had seen me, it was all over too."

The disguised Anko and her mysterious boyfriend exited the restaurant, preparing to have a night of fun, when suddenly Shizune appeared in front of them and said, "Lady Tsunade needs to see you, Anko." Anko feigned indifference and began walking off, but Shizune caught her hand and said, "Stop fooling around. It's urgent." Anko sighed and released her transformation, as did her boyfriend. She said to him, "Go on home, I'll meet you later." Shizune took off, and Anko followed her.

Ino and Naruto walked home almost at midnight when suddenly, Sakura shunshined in front of them. They stared at her in surprise and she said, "Naruto, Ino. The Hokage has called. It's urgent." The two of them looked at her and nodded. They took off to the buildings at once. Sakura blinked; she wasn't aware that Ino was so fast. She headed to Ninja Ops too.

Tsunade stood in front of the office, where a small amount of ninjas were standing. She said, "Everyone, go down to the interrogation rooms below the Ninja Ops. I'll meet you there shortly." They nodded and headed down. Naruto noticed Kakashi and went to him. "What's up, Kakashi sensei?" Kakashi said, "I don't know, Naruto. But it seems to be something urgent. All the clan leaders are here, as are all our teams. Something major has gone down."

Ibiki stepped out of the interrogation room and bade them all to sit in the adjoining room. As they looked through the glass between the two rooms, they noticed a man sitting in a chair, bound to it, with a Sound headband on his forehead. They suddenly realized what was up. Well, most of them realized it. Just then, Tsunade stepped into the room and behind her came…

"Gaara!" Naruto yelled happily as he rushed to meet his friend. Gaara smiled back at him and said in his slow voice, "Long time, no see, Naruto. How are you?" Naruto said, "I'm fine, Gaara. But what are you doing here?" Gaara said, "I was going to attend the Chunin exams, didn't you know?" Naruto said, "Oh yeah, now I remember old man Teuchi telling me. But I meant, what are you doing here, in this room?" Then he noticed Temari and Kankuro standing behind them and greeted them as well.

Kankuro said to Naruto, "How're you doin' kid?" and Shikamaru groaned as he saw Temari shoot him a look. Tsunade counted to thirty in her head before exploding, "Get back to your seat, knucklehead! This is urgent!" Naruto blanched and shunshined into his seat. The Sand Siblings went to the front seats and sat down. Tsunade said, "All right, settle down. This is an X-Rank situation we have here."

Everyone except Gaara looked surprised and a few vocalized, "What's that?" Tsunade looked at Gaara and he said, "It is a mission which requires the direct action of a Hokage or the joint action of two villages." Everyone looked at him, amazed, and he said, "The Council of Shadows has decided that any such mission which requires the co-operation of two villages will be deemed as an X-Ranked mission."

Tsunade continued, "The man sitting in the interrogation room is known as Shin Busata. He is from the True Sound Village." Anko said, "What is this crap?" Tsunade continued as though she had not heard Anko, "What I am about to share with all of you is classified information. I presume everyone here is aware of Orochimaru?" Everyone nodded, and some of them looked briefly at Anko. She stared back at them in response and they shuddered. Tsunade said, "Well, after Orochimaru's death, the Sound village has seemingly been divided into two parts. One part of the village is led by Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru's right hand man. He has many loyal followers as well. But the other side is seemingly the True Sound Village, which consists of people who are not loyal to him and may have not been loyal to Orochimaru as well."

Anko stood, "I asked, what is this bullshit?" Everyone stared at her. Tsunade said, "If you would let me finish, you'd know. Ibiki, go in and make Shin repeat his story." Anko sat down, looking suspiciously at the prisoner. Ibiki went in and the shinobi who was tied to the chair blanched. Then Ibiki turned on his mic and the shinobi said, "My name is Shin Busata. I am from the True Sound Village, a faction of ninjas who are against the tyrannical rule of Kabuto Yakushi."

He continued, "The Sound Village was not the idea of Orochimaru. It was my parents' dream. My mother was from the Hidden Mist village. My father, as you may know, was Jiro Busata, a medical ninja from this very village. My mother had abandoned her village because of their cut throat nature. She was chased by her people until my father saved her. He was severely injured in the process. My mother took care of him with what little medical NinJutsu she had, until he was strong enough to heal himself. Through this time, they both fell in love and decided to get married."

"Some time later, my grandfather died, leaving my mother everything that he owned. My mother returned to her village, long enough to sell everything and come back. My father, who had abandoned this village because of personal reasons unknown to me, took her to the Land of Rice Paddies. There they lived for a while, until my father made a decision. He decided to make a village. It would be unlike any other village. It would be a village where anyone could come and learn ninja arts, as long as they gave something else in return."

"They collected a huge number of scrolls and books about the Ninja Arts. This of course, drew Orochimaru's attention. He joined our village. My parents had no idea that he was a traitor to this village. They were honored that a Sannin was willing to help them. Orochimaru started taking in followers and slowly established the village, while my parents gathered more information. However, they slowly realized that Orochimaru was practicing Necromancy and human experiments, they started distancing themselves from him."

"A few years ago, my father decided to stop Orochimaru's weird experiments. Although my mother knew in her heart that they would not return alive, she went with him. She had warned us never to cross Orochimaru. And of course, he killed them. We couldn't do anything, because we were often sent on mundane missions, while Orochimaru sent his faithful soldiers on dangerous missions. So while we have the knowledge, we have no real experience."

"But now, with Orochimaru gone, we have decided to ask the Leaf and Sand villages to assist us in overthrowing the tyranny of Kabuto Yakushi. We do not have the means to pay you in full, but we will make our library available to both the villages for a full year as payment."

Anko snorted, "You don't really believe this load of crap, do you?" Tsunade said, "What do you mean, Anko?" Anko yelled, losing her temper, "I MEAN, OROCHIMARU ISN'T DEAD!" She pulled her fishnet armor down, not caring that it showed most of her bosom, as long as her Curse Mark was exposed. "I can still feel this burning onto my skin every day, every minute, every second. If this seal is there, it means that Orochimaru is not dead. This is nothing but a trap."

Tsunade said, "I have a report from my spy network which clearly states that Orochimaru is no more. Sasuke killed him. And I trust my network. Also, Shin is being subjected to a lot of GenJutsus right now. It is impossible for him to lie." Anko said, "It's not possible. Or else I would have been rid of this pain. This terrible curse, that has been part of me for so many years."

Tsunade continued, "And I also knew Jiro Busata quite well. He was on the Medical Council with me during the Third Great Ninja War. I always thought it was weird that Orochimaru wanted to establish a village. He never was a socialite."

Shizune said gently, "Anko, we don't really know that the seal will be released on Orochimaru's death. It could maybe take weeks or months to fade away. Or it may be permanent. We can't tell at the moment." Anko still wasn't convinced, but sat down nevertheless. She turned away from Kankuro, who was busy staring at her mostly uncovered chest. Gaara said, "We have already considered that this may well be a trap. Busata's plan calls for eight teams, more or less. This is why the two of us have decided to send six teams each. This will prevent too many casualties to one village if it is a trap, and in the event that it is not, both the villages will benefit from the success of this mission."

Tsunade said, "Gaara will be leading this mission himself. You will be split into teams as per orders. Are there any questions?" Naruto raised his hand and Tsunade asked, "What is it, knucklehead?" He said, "What about the Chunin exams?" She froze, remembering that he was supposed to participate. She said, "I'll talk to you about that later. We plan to mask the attack behind the Chunin Exams. Anything else?" Nobody said anything so she dismissed everyone except Naruto and the Sand siblings. She said, "Naruto, this is an extremely important mission. If you would be there in this mission, it could change the outcome of the mission radically. On the other hand, I know that you have been waiting for this chance a long time. I cannot force you right now. You must make this decision on your own."

Gaara put his hand on Naruto's shoulder and said in his slow and reassuring manner, "Don't worry about it, Naruto. If you feel like you want to attend the Chunin exams, we will do our best not to make it difficult for you. But if you are going to be part of this mission, I have specially requested you to be in my team. You see, Kabuto is also at fault for killing my father. So this is quite personal for me." Temari shuddered at the gleam of hatred in her brother's pale green eyes. Naruto said sadly, "It is not at all a problem for me. Both of you should know by now that I have always put this village before me. It is my Ninja Way. I'm feeling bad about Konohamaru. He will feel awful about this." Tsunade said, "Don't worry. I'm sure that Konohamaru will understand. After all, he shares your dream to become Hokage."

Gaara smiled, and Naruto said sadly, "Then I'll do it. After all, it's the sort of choice a Chunin would make, isn't it?" Tsunade said, "Naruto, whatever happens, I'll make sure that you attend the next Chunin exams. Even if I have to bust Sakura or Ino back to Genin to do it." Naruto nodded sadly and said, "I'll go and tell Konohamaru." The two Kages nodded and he left.

Naruto knocked on Konohamaru's house door and waited. A few moments later, Konohamaru's mother opened the door. She said, "Naruto? What are you doing here so late?" He said, "I need to speak to Ko." She said, "But you are going for the Chunin exams later today, right? Why not speak to him then?" Naruto replied, "We aren't going to the Chunin exams. Not anymore." His seriousness made her realize that something was up and she invited him in. he sat on the couch and she went to wake Konohamaru up.

Konohamaru came down the stairs and said, "Is something wrong, bro?" Naruto nodded and said sadly, "I'm really sorry Ko. I gave you high hopes of becoming a Chunin and now I have to do this." Konohamaru blinked and said, "What happened? Why are you saying this?" Naruto said heavily, "I can't go to the Chunin exams with you, Ko."

Konohamaru just stood there, his world shattered around him. He looked at Naruto with anger in his eyes. He turned to walk away, but Naruto shunshined next to him. Ko lashed out in anger, and blinked in surprise as Naruto doubled over. He hadn't expected Naruto to take the hit. Naruto wheezed, "Listen Ko. I know you must be upset. But there's a reason for this. Didn't you wonder why I would wake you up at 2AM to tell you this?"

Konohamaru said with tears forming in his eyes, "Why? Why can't you go for the exams? After all I did, to help you? After all we went through together in training? Why?"

Naruto replied, "Because I've been assigned a mission which is higher than S-Rank difficulty. And if I go, the entire village could benefit from it."

Konohamaru's eyes went wide as he heard that. A mission with a rank higher than S-Rank? Naruto said, "I know that this news will surprise you. But Grandma Tsunade told me that the mission might fail if I was not there." Konohamaru said, "Is it really that important? Can the village be affected by it?"

Naruto said, "If this mission fails, then we could be in dire jeopardy. And if we succeed, then our village will become much stronger." Konohamaru said, "Well, why didn't you say so right away? If the village is at stake, then it doesn't matter if I become Chunin or not. Don't worry, bro! I will be ready for the next Chunin exams and we will ace them!" Naruto smiled and suddenly hugged his self-appointed younger brother. Konohamaru hugged him back, and his mother looked at them, happy tears in her eyes to see her son matured so much.

Konohamaru said, "Hey bro? If this mission is so important, why not include me as well? You know that I've gotten stronger now." Naruto stared at him and then shouted like a maniac, "Of course! Why didn't I think of it? Wait here, Ko, I'll go and ask Grandma Tsunade right away!" And he vanished before Konohamaru could blink.

"Grandma Tsunade!" Naruto yelled. She looked at him and said, "What? Can't you see I'm busy?" He stopped short and looked at the rest of the people around. He said, "I have a request." She said, "What is it?" He replied, "I want Konohamaru to be included in this mission."

Tsunade stared at him incredulously. She said, "Are you mad? He's just a child, and a Genin at that!" Naruto smirked and said, "If being Genin means you can't go for this mission, then I won't be able to go too!" She stared at him and then said, "What is this childishness, Naruto?"

He then said seriously, "Grandma, Konohamaru has come a long way since our training began. Ask Kakashi sensei here; he will tell you Ko's current abilities." Tsunade said, "Is he really that good, Kakashi?" Kakashi nodded and said, "Konohamaru would ace the Chunin exams. He has almost higher chakra reserves than me now, and knows at least four jutsus of A-Rank level. He is also a natural close combat monster, just like his father, and he shares the same stupid brilliance and tenacity of Naruto. He would do well in this mission."

Tsunade said, "But…" Naruto interrupted, "You've taken away his chance to become a Chunin. At least let him help in the mission which destroyed that chance."

Tsunade sighed and nodded, "Ok then. Tell him to get ready, Naruto. He will leave along with the rest of you tomorrow." Naruto nodded joyfully, and vanished. Tsunade said, "I'll put him with you, Kakashi, so you can take care of him." Kakashi nodded, knowing Konohamaru's weaknesses and thinking, 'This will make up for him missing the exams.'

The next morning at dawn, all the teams were assembled in front of the village. Gaara and Tsunade stood in front of them and Gaara said, "My teams shall meet you at the Land of Rice Paddies. From there on, we shall proceed to the Sound Village, led by Shin Busata. Our primary target is Kabuto Yakushi. My team will personally go after him. The rest of the teams will help the True Sound Village defeat Kabuto's followers." Everyone nodded and Lady Tsunade said, "Then go and make our village proud." Everyone said, "HAI!" and took off.

The ninjas all stopped at the Land of Rice Paddies, where the Sand team joined them, led by Baki. Then they followed Shin to the mountains where he said, "Be careful now. These mountains are quite dangerous. If you take the slightest wrong step, you will fall and die." Everyone nodded and proceeded slowly.

"Hey Gaara, where's Kankuro? I see Temari, but not him. What's up?" Naruto asked the Fifth Kazekage. Gaara looked at him in brief surprise before remembering that he wasn't there when the Hokage and he had discussed about it. He said, "Kankuro will be taking on my appearance as the Kazekage during the Chunin exams. We cannot disappoint our Genin, after all." Naruto nodded, and looked briefly at Konohamaru who just nodded at him in determination. Naruto said, "All right then. Let's go."

As they entered some caverns, Shikamaru said, "What is this place?" Shin said, "The entrance to the Sound Village is well placed. It cannot be accessed from anywhere except here." They silently made their way through the caverns, when Shin suddenly raised his hand to stop them. He said, "Five of Kabuto's followers. They are guarding the cave ahead. Keep an eye on them and be ready to take them out. I will distract them."

Gaara's team, which consisted of Naruto, Sakura, Neji and himself, came forward a little. Gaara started pooling his sand slowly behind the guard who was watching for intruders. As Shin walked right in, one guard said, "Well well well. Look who it is. Shin Busata. So you decided to come back, you traitor?" Another guard said, "Just kill him, it's what our orders are anyway." Shin said, "So, you would kill me, Niruko?" Niruko stared at him and said, "You speak to me as though I were your friend. How dare you? I'll give Lord Kabuto your head on a platter, you filthy traitor!" But before she could move, the sand which had been pooled near the feet of the guards rose up and covered two of them. At the same time, Sakura and Neji fell the other two guards with well thrown kunai.

Gaara closed his hand, and his sand did the job. As they looked at the last guard, she removed her headband and replaced it with the one which Shin wore. Shin said, "How did you know she was with me?" Sakura said, "She was the only one you didn't look at." Shin nodded and the girl threw herself at him and kissed him furiously. He managed to break apart, blushing deeply red at the public display, as were some of the other ninjas. He said, "Chiasa, not now!"

Chiasa said, "I thought you wouldn't return! I was so worried!" He said, "Now is not the time to worry. The Leaf and Sand villages have agreed to assist me in freeing our village. We must inform the rest of our people." Chiasa said, "There has been unrest in our people for some time now. They just want to get it over with quickly. Kabuto has begun taking people from our side to experiment on. He doesn't care how many die as long as he learns something new." Shin said, "Then let's teach him a lesson." Gaara said, "How long before the guard is rotated?" Shin said, "Two hours."

Chiasa said, "Twenty minutes," and Shin looked at her in surprise. "Kabuto changed the timing of the rotations," she explained.

"Then we better hurry," Shin said. Gaara nodded and they continued into the village, taking out the guards slowly but surely. They finally made it into the village and Shin said, "I shall go and inform my people of the attack. We will come back here and report. After that, we will start the attack by taking the armory first."

Gaara said, "My team will go in pursuit of Kabuto. The rest of you will fight against his followers. Make sure you know who you are fighting. The True Sound's headbands are different from the Sound's." Everyone nodded and Shin and Chiasa disappeared. Gaara quickly said, "Alright everyone. This may still be a trap so be prepared for anything."

However, a few minutes later, Shin returned with around fifty people behind him. He said, "These are my comrades. They will fight alongside you and provide help. Although we are not very skilled, we can hold our own until someone from your teams can help us out." Gaara nodded and said, "Split up!"

His team went over to one side while Kakashi and the rest of the people went up to the other side. Kakashi said, "We will look for pockets of battle and fight against Kabuto's servants. Everyone split into the teams that have been decided."

They split up. The Leaf teams were as follows:

1)Kiba, Shino and Sai along with Konohamaru. They were headed by Kakashi.

2)Anko, Iruka and Yugao. They were a team before, when they were Genin.

3)Ino, Shikamaru and Choji. They were headed by Temari.

4)Lee, Tenten and Hinata along with Gai. Hinata substituted for Neji.

5)Genma, Raido and Aoba. They were a fully functional Jonin team.

6)Shikaku, Choza, Inoichi. They were the original Ino-Shika-Cho formation.

The Sand villages also had their teams ready. Gaara looked at Matsuri and Natsuki. He said, "Matsuri, a moment." She came up to him and he said in a low voice, "Please be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you." She stared at him in surprise and then blushed, before saying quietly, "Of course, Gaara-san." He nodded at her and she went back in her place. Natsuki came up to him and said, "If you don't mind sir, I would like to be with you. As your bodyguard, I should not be separated from you." He said, "I am being guarded by three of the Leaf's finest shinobi, who I trust more than my life." And then he looked over at Matsuri again before saying to Natsuki, "And I want you to look after Matsuri. She has never been in a war before, I can't let her die. You will look after her as you would look after me." Natsuki nodded and went back.

Gaara turned around to see Naruto smirking at him. "So, Matsuri, huh, Gaara. You sly dog, you!" Naruto said, and Sakura and Neji were appalled at his attitude. But Gaara simply blushed and said, "Well, she is special to me." Sakura and Neji almost fell through the ground. Naruto nodded and said, "Just like Ino is special to me." Gaara smiled and said, "Alright. It's time. Let's give Kabuto what's coming to him."


	20. Chapter 20: Uchiha Showdown

**Chapter 20: Uchiha Showdown**

"Are you sure this is the place?" Suigetsu asked dubiously. Karin threw a kunai at him angrily. Out of deference for Sasuke and their upcoming fight, she missed on purpose. They stood outside a fort, with the Uchiha emblem on the front wall.

"Are you sure, Karin?" Sasuke asked. She turned to him and said confidently, "Of course, Sasuke-kun. His trace is the most recent over here. Although tracking by chakra isn't easy, and his trail is still strongest near the Leaf Village, I'm sure that if he isn't here, he was here a couple of days ago."

Sasuke nodded and touched her shoulder appreciatively. Karin's grin turned lecherous as she reached for his thigh. He frowned, as if to say, "Not now."

"If you idiots are done…" Suigetsu sighed, and Karin shot him another angry look. Just then she sniffed and said, "DUCK!" All of them ducked and a giant sword wrapped in cords flew over their heads. They looked at the sword and then turned to see Kisame Hoshigaki standing in front of them.

"So, I have to go through you to get to Itachi?" Sasuke said angrily. Kisame shook his head and said, "Itachi always did believe in fair fights. You are free to go, I am here to stop these two." He turned to Suigetsu, who was holding the Samehada in his hands now. Kisame waved his hand and Samehada tore itself through Suigetsu's hands and returned to him. Suigetsu raised his eyebrow and looked at his hands, before they regenerated. He said, "I must have that sword."

Kisame grinned, showing sharp teeth, and said, "I see you have Raiga and Zabuza's swords already. But I don't think you've earned them yet, boy. I knew your father. He was quite irritating, you know. I always felt bad that I didn't get to kill him myself. I guess you might be able to substitute for him, though."

Sasuke looked at Karin in concern. She smiled inwardly, but shooed him on, saying angrily, "Get going, Sasuke-kun! We'll hold him off!" Sasuke nodded, and went inside the fort. He went through all the rooms, ignoring all the ancient scrolls and books that were being held in them. He had eyes only for one person, and that was…

"I see you finally made it, brother." Itachi said. He was sitting in the hall, right in the center of the fort. Sasuke snorted and put his hands together, saying, "Release." He looked at Itachi, his eyes red, with three black tomoe, and said, "Did you really think I would fall for that?"

Itachi appeared behind him and said, "It was a test. Any person who enters an Uchiha stronghold must prove his identity by dispelling the GenJutsu cast here. I didn't create it. Our ancestors did." Sasuke jumped back and Itachi smiled at him. "I see you have become stronger, brother. Are you ready to challenge me again, though? You see, while you betrayed your village and trained under Orochimaru, I was gaining strength through our ancestors' many teachings. And I thought I told you to come find me when you had the same eyes that I do."

Sasuke smiled and said, "Well, there's only one way to find out who's stronger now." He suddenly threw four kunai around Itachi who frowned. But then Sasuke also released a quartet of shurikens and each of them hit the kunais which converged on Itachi. The older brother quickly dispatched his own kunais, which not only deflected all the kunai and shurikens which Sasuke had thrown, but also continued to strike Sasuke in his arms. Sasuke quickly removed the kunais from his arms.

Itachi said, "Was that just to show off your mastery of the Uchiha Deflection technique? Because I am not at all impressed. You still have a long way to go." He then frowned as he saw the gashes on Sasuke's arms healing almost immediately. He said, "That is something new. Is it a new element of your Curse Mark, or a jutsu of some sort?"

Sasuke shook his head and exposed his neck at Itachi, saying, "I got rid of the Curse Mark. I found a source of greater power." He charged in and started attacking Itachi. The older sibling simply dodged his attacks and Sasuke suddenly fell back, signing, and said, "Lightning Style: Thunder Bombs!" Three small orbs of lightning struck Itachi and he went rigid for a couple of seconds. Then he said, "Quite ingenious. I see those orbs follow my directions, because they are attracted to the metal in my reinforced robes. But they are too weak to harm me. What's next? The Fireball Jutsu?"

Sasuke signed again, and said, "How about this! Water Style: Snake Pit Jutsu!" Suddenly, a pit appeared under Itachi and several dozen vipers erupted out of it. They completely enveloped the Akatsuki member. After the last snake had taken his bite, a black flame suddenly emerged from the older Uchiha, and all the snakes were completely incarcerated. Itachi looked at his younger brother, pale and unbalanced from the many poisons coursing through his body, but he did not look worried.

Sasuke frowned, saying, "You've been bitten by nearly three dozen snakes. You'll die in a moment. Aren't you afraid? Or are you trying to be brave in front of me?" Itachi laughed, and then coughed, "The Akatsuki is not just a random group of terrorists, you know. We have many resources, one of them being a scientist who developed a universal antivenin for us."

Itachi drew an extremely tiny bottle and took a gulp of the liquid in it before Sasuke could move. His face cleared and he straightened, stretching his back. But he still bled from the punctures on his body. Sasuke charged, aiming a punch at Itachi's face, but the older brother simply caught his arm and threw him away towards the wall. Sasuke landed on his feet and signed, "Lightning Style: Lightning Trident Jutsu!" He thrust his hand towards Itachi and three huge bolts of lightning emerged. Itachi ducked under the first one, dodged the second and caught the third with a flame wrapped hand.

"Interesting," Itachi mused. He said, "You have gotten much stronger. But brother, the Uchihas are supposed to be masters of the Fire Style." As Sasuke landed from the wall, Itachi signed, faster than Sasuke could see, and said, "Fire Style: Inferno Supernova." A giant ball of flames, twice as big as the Fireball Jutsu spread out from Itachi's hands and advanced towards Sasuke, expanding in a perfect sphere.

Sasuke signed quickly and said, "Water Style: Water Wall!" and created a weak water barrier to hold off the ball of flames. As the water barrier collapsed, Sasuke's eyes went wide as the second ball appeared in front of him, head on. He managed to move slightly out of the way, and his entire left arm was burnt.

Sasuke tore of his ignited shirt with his right hand, even as his left started to regenerate. Itachi smirked, "The supernova bursts thrice. But I chose to limit it to two times. The third would have been overkill." Sasuke snorted, "Unless you're too weak to do it thrice." Itachi smiled at the impudence and Sasuke signed, "Fire Style: Fire Trace!"

Four lines of flames converged on Itachi, who simply leapt over the flames. And then his eyes widened in shock as…

"CHIDORI!" Sasuke roared and his hand went right through Itachi's stomach.

But as Sasuke grinned, so did Itachi. The older Uchiha burst into flames and Sasuke pulled his hand behind, but not before they were charred. Even as his fingers began to regrow, Itachi stepped forward and said, "Fire Clone Jutsu. One of the many secrets held in this fort. But I suppose there was no one to teach you."

Hearing Itachi's mocking voice, Sasuke went mad with rage and charged towards his brother, pumping copious amounts of chakra in his legs to increase his speed. He aimed a right cross at his brother's face and a Lightning chakra laced jab at Itachi's neck. The first swing missed as Itachi ducked, but the jab caught him on his shoulder. Itachi gently placed his hand on Sasuke's stomach and pushed. Sasuke landed five feet behind and Itachi waited.

"Stop toying and fight me like a man!" Sasuke yelled.

Itachi sighed and said, "Foolish brother, this is the way a master of the Sharingan fights. Always observe your opponent, copying any jutsu they have worth learning. Let your opponent tire themselves out before they face you, too exhausted to move. Then finish it with a single blow."

He smirked and said, "Only engage in battle if your opponent is physically superior or had a power you cannot copy. Even then, it is only necessary if it is a desperate choice." Sasuke bristled at the implicated insult and engaged Itachi in another series of TaiJutsu. But Itachi dodged every one of his attacks until he guided Sasuke to a wall and pinned him to it.

"I guess this is your limit, then brother. Thank you for the Lightning Trident Jutsu. You have grown much stronger in the last few years… Maybe, just maybe, you might be able to defeat me the next time. Tsukuyomi."

Sasuke's world turned over, as white became black and black became white. He looked at this stark world, recognizing it from the last time. He looked at Itachi who said, "Welcome home, Sasuke." Just then, two hands grabbed Sasuke from behind and started tearing the flesh from his back and stomach. He turned his head slightly and saw his parents, seemingly smiling at him while continuing to tear at his flesh. Sasuke smiled at Itachi and said, "It took you long enough."

His eyes suddenly expanded, the three tomoe in his eyes rotating before they transformed into three daggers, which met in the middle of his eyes. He looked at Itachi. "Mangekyo Sharingan. Tsukuyomi."

Itachi's eyes went wide, as his parent stopped attacking their younger son, and advanced towards him. As he attempted to break through, even more zombies started appearing and tearing him into little pieces. Itachi tried to shatter the GenJutsu but he could not. Sasuke's hate fueled world was too strong. Though he knew that the zombies were illusions, he could not deny the pain.

Only a couple of seconds passed in the real world, but Itachi felt as though he had been killed thousands of times. He could barely stand up straight and was panting hard. "How…how did you…you break fr…free?" he said, "And how di…did you stop m…me from break…breaking through?"

"Research." Sasuke answered with a smirk. A drop of blood dotted his left eye, which he wiped and stared at Itachi. Like his older brother, Sasuke's color was drained from his face, but he was not panting. He waited for his brother to collapse, but Itachi was not ready to die just yet.

"You may have found a different way of using the Tsukuyomi, "Itachi wheezed, "But you still have not mastered the technique well enough to break me."

"You are in no shape to fight," Sasuke said monotonously, "So it doesn't matter anyway." He dropped into his favorite stance and lightning began crackling around his right hand. Itachi said, "Not yet."

Sasuke's eyes widened, and Itachi's mouth twitched upwards. Having got the fraction of a second he needed, Itachi's left eye's pinwheel design started spinning and all his cuts, punctures and bruises began to travel up his body. After a second more, he stood up, in a pristine state. In the brief second that Sasuke stared at him, his older brother cracked his knuckles and said, "Shall we?"

His chakra nearly exhausted, Sasuke physically attacked again. This time his attacks were more precise, and Itachi was forced to actively block instead of simply dodging. Sasuke aimed a double snap kick, stabbing his right foot at his enemy's stomach and then neck. The older brother deflected the first shot with his hand, and leaned back to avoid the second. Sasuke threw his body back into a side aerial, and his left foot connected with Itachi's chin. But the weak attack did not deter the former ANBU leader, and while his brother was still upside-down, Itachi's right fist struck the teen's left temple.

His head ringing and his acrobatics disrupted, Sasuke barely managed to land on his feet. Itachi stepped in, slamming his elbow into his opponent's solar plexus. Sasuke's hand snapped up, and the back of Itachi's knuckles struck Sasuke's nose, nearly breaking it. Sasuke attempted to grab his brother's wrist, to flip him into the wall. But Itachi turned his grip around, using the pressure point on the back of Sasuke's hand to immobilize the youth long enough to land a hard side thrust kick to the younger man's lower spine. Sasuke felt his legs going numb, but managed to score a moderate blow to Itachi's retreating knee.

Sasuke was now getting desperate. He admitted it; Itachi had longer reach and strength than him. There was only one option left. He summoned a very specific serpent, which disgorged a familiar sword into Sasuke's hand. Itachi stared at it with a brief hint of surprise.

"So, you even managed to take the Kusanagi from Orochimaru," Itachi said. "I wonder how this will fare?" He reached back and Sasuke readied himself, but Itachi drew his ANBU chokuto from its shoulder hoister, under his Akatsuki robe.

"I'm going to tell you a little secret now, brother," Itachi said, "The ANBU Black Ops were created by the man who would later go on to be the Second Hokage. He possessed a sword made by the Murasame clan, the clan famous for their nearly unworkable Weapon Forge Jutsu. The soldiers of ANBU all carry copies of the sword of the Second Hokage. The original sword was given to the leader of the ANBU and was preserved with care. That is, until I took it with me when I left."

"Let's see how your infamous sword works against my secret sword."

Itachi slashed at Sasuke's chest, and Sasuke blocked the weak attempt with Kusanagi. He slashed back in response and Itachi stepped back. He frowned as his weak dodge worked, and decided to test it. He kept dodging the blade, keeping a distance, but remaining open. Sasuke attempted to get close to him every time, until Itachi realized.

He sighed and said, "You don't even know how the Kusanagi works, do you? Just like the Mangekyo Sharingan, a tool you acquired, but have no clue how to use properly. Whereas I can use this blade in the manner it is intended to be used."

He reached out and tapped Sasuke's shoulder with the flat of the blade. A deep sonic vibration was emitted from the sword, and Sasuke felt his shoulder shatter. Itachi smirked and said, "The sword emits a sonic pulse which tears the point of contact down into individual cells and then destroys those cells. Due to your regeneration, it won't be as effective on you as it would on other people."

Itachi started out in a fencing position and struck out at Sasuke's chest, knocking aside Kusanagi as he did so. The shockwave went throughout Sasuke's chest, crushing his ribs and hitting his heart. The younger sibling rolled back, wheezing slightly, keeping Orochimaru's sword between him and Itachi.

Itachi said, "That would have killed most people. You're lucky."

He pressed the attack, repeatedly striking Sasuke's limbs until Sasuke's regeneration could not keep up. Finally Itachi kicked Sasuke in the ribs, forcing him onto his back. "I can sense that Kisame has finished by now. I guess I should get back to work then." He stepped up to his younger brother, aiming his sword at Sasuke's head. "You have grown stronger, I'll give you that, brother. Maybe you might defeat me the next time, that is, if you have someone to teach you, having betrayed Orochimaru, as well as our village." He stabbed, and Sasuke fell unconscious.

"Are you done?" Kisame asked as Itachi walked out.

"I am satisfied with his progress. One day, he might be worth enough to justify this effort." Itachi countered, as he coughed and stumbled to his knees. The shark-like man looked at him in surprise and saw numerous bruises and injuries appearing on Itachi's body.

"Itachi, those wounds…" Kisame said, mildly concerned as he gave his hand to the Leaf shinobi to help him up. Itachi leaned against a wall, waiting for his vision to stabilize, before saying, "Sasuke took me by surprise. I was forced to use Suseri." He grinned sardonically and said, "If he hadn't wasted so much of his chakra in the beginning of his fight, he would have killed me."

Kisame looked at him incredulously, and Itachi said, "Help me. We must go before he comes to his senses. I can't let him know how close he came to winning. He must strive to become stronger, or he won't be worthy enough." Then he looked at the mess that Kisame had made outside and said, "Oh God. Did you really…"

Kisame gave Itachi his shoulder to lean on and said, "They were quite strong, you know. I was surprised how good that guy was. I had to use **it**." Itachi stared at him and Kisame nodded gravely. The two of them walked away slowly, Itachi setting the pace.

By the time Sasuke returned to consciousness, all of his wounds had gone. His body however, was still sore. He got up slowly, wondering why he bothered at all. 'I failed again,' he thought bitterly. He walked out of the fort slowly, holding his right arm with his left, not even seeing where he was going.

The outside of the fort was a mess. Blood was spattered everywhere, along with a large amount of water and puddles. He recognized Suigetsu. Less than half of the swordsman's body remained, the rest lying around in different parts. Zabuza and Raiga's swords were gone, presumably taken by Kisame. He turned to the right and saw Karin, her body almost intact except that she had only one leg. And the hole where the second should have been was not bleeding anymore.

Just as he was about to move away from the area, he noticed a shallow rise in Karin's body. With speed he thought he no longer possessed, he reached by her. Sasuke knelt by Karin and held up her face. She looked up at him weakly and coughed. "Sasuke-kun…" she faltered. Then she said, "You won."

"No," Sasuke said, his voice bitter, "I was merely spared. Again."

"Oh." Karin looked at him sadly, before her face brightened. "But we can try, aga…" her statement was broken by a fit of coughing, "again."

Then she smiled at him, "Not we. I'm not going to make it, am I, Sasuke-kun?" He shook his head sadly, a tear forming in his right eye. Maybe if those two were here, they could have worked another miracle. But now…

Karin caught his hand and said, "I have a favor to ask, Sasuke-kun."

He nodded, "Anything."

"In all the times you shared my bed, you never kissed me above the neck. Please, just this once, can you kiss my cheek? Or at least my forehead?" Sasuke nodded; it had been his way to avoid intimacy, while using her, and leading her on to ensure her loyalty.

Sasuke bent over and shifted her hair. He pressed his lips to hers. Salty blood met his lips and he pulled away a few seconds later. Karin laughed, choking as she said, "See… I knew…knew you loved…"

Her taunt caught in her throat as she breathed her last. Sasuke closed her eyes gently, and stood, a tear running down his cheek. He exited the front compound, making a trail of oil behind him as he did. Then he sent off a spark from his hands, which lit the trail of oil. As he walked off, the fort burst into fire. Sasuke Uchiha did not look back.


	21. Chapter 21:The Sound Liberation

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, I have a bit of bad news for you. I am getting really busy with college assignments and stuff, and have lesser and lesser time to progress with my story. Therefore, it is with great regret that I have to announce, that I will be moving to a weekly chapter release from now on. That will not only help me organize my schedule, but also won't leave you guys waiting for chapters everyday. This will be my last chapter releasing on a different day. I will be releasing my chapters every Thursday from now on, coinciding with the day when Naruto's new episodes come out. If you don't find my chapter on Thursday, it will definitely be released on Friday. I hope that you guys understand the reasons behind this, I am human after all. I don't know what your reactions will be, but I do know one thing, which is that I will complete this story one way or the other.

Anyway, that being said, I've got a larger chapter for you guys today, so enjoy and as usual, Happy Reading!

**Chapter 21: The Sound Liberation**

An explosion in the village suddenly shocked the Leaf and Sand ninjas, who were waiting to attack. Shin yelled, "That's the signal. Let's go!" Everyone behind Kakashi nodded and Kakashi led them into the village. Gaara and his team waited behind, Gaara looking suspiciously at the True Sound village shinobi.

"Gaara, what's the hold up?" Naruto yelled at him.

Gaara looked at Shizune, who had been added into the mission for medical support, and said, "Can you please inform Kakashi and Natsuki to split our troops up into two directions, along with the True Sound ninjas?" Shizune nodded, and asked, "Why?" He replied, "I do not trust them yet, so it would be wiser to have a more open battlefield. If all our troops are together, we could be defeated even more easily if it turns out to be a trap." Shizune immediately took out her cellular and dialed Kakashi.

"Move it," the Kazekage ordered, his voice uncommonly worried.

"Alright!" Naruto shouted and they quickly breached the village's meagre defenses, which had already been taken over by the True Sound village. Gaara looked up to see them and they saluted him. He looked a little less suspicious but decided not to think about it then. He just aimed a shuriken of sand at the nearest enemy, who was sporting three arms and legs.

"Coming through," Naruto shouted, as he cracked a man's skull with Kitsune. The man fell, and the True Sound ninja who he was about to kill looked at Naruto gratefully. Neji tapped another enemy in the back with his Gentle Fist, giving the True Sound ninja a chance to stab him. "Thank you," she said, and then shouted, "Careful!"

A third man was leaping up behind Naruto, but a giant fist of sand intercepted him and crushed him against a nearby building. "Where is Kabuto Yakushi?" Gaara demanded of the True Sound kunoichi. She shuddered slightly under his intense gaze and said, "He was last seen in his lab. It's in the citadel there. But I don't know if he's still there." Gaara nodded his thanks and said, "Let's go."

"This is so troublesome," Shikamaru groaned, while casually slitting his opposing ninja's throat. Choji nodded, while his fists pounded together, crushing a man between them. "What's with the small fry?" he asked. Temari groaned. "Did you have to say that?"

"What is this?" Choji said, confused, and she pointed in the opposite direction. Ino gasped, "That's target six, Yama!"

_"__Target six is known as Yama," Tsunade said. She showed a pair of photos, showing a hulk of a man, probably in his twenties, or early thirties, and almost eight feet tall. _

_"__He was recruited by Orochimaru some years ago. We don't have any other intel on him, nor does the True Sound. But they did say that he is extremely deadly and loyal to a fault. And it seems that his loyalty has been transferred to Kabuto."_

_Shin added, "He is a mystery. He never speaks, to anyone. He may in fact, be mute. Only one of our ninjas has ever gone on a mission with him She reported that he used mostly hand-to-hand combat, and is much faster than he looks. She also reported that he only used a Wind Chakra shield, and had no other jutsus that she saw."_

_Then he said dubiously, "We also have heard rumors that he has never taken a single hit in his entire career," And one last thing; we have been reported of a young girl in his room, with similar facial features. She might be his daughter, or a younger sibling." Temari said, "That could be why he's loyal to Kabuto. Maybe the guy offered to treat her or something of the sort." Shikamaru nodded._

"Let's go, let's find someone who isn't so troublesome." Shikamaru whispered, but the suggestion came a little too late, as Yama saw them. His eyes narrowed in anger and he tore out a huge chunk of wall from next to him. He threw the piece of wall directly at them.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu!" Choji intoned and his enlarged arm punched the projectile away, while he grimaced from the pain. "Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Temari yelled, and Choji ducked, as huge blades of sharpened air passed over his head and struck Yama squarely in the chest and arms. But the blades merely passed through him and cut deep furrows into the wall behind him.

"I see; that's why he's never been injured," Temari said.

Choji grunted, "He can't be that tough." He swung his enlarged left fist at Yama's face, but the blow did not even move Yama a tiny bit. The Akimichi kicked out, placing a giant foot in Yama's solar plexus. Yama didn't even acknowledge the attack, but grabbed Choji's arm faster than the Chunin could dodge, and threw him back at Temari like a rag doll.

"Choji," Temari helped up the overweight Chunin, "What do you think? Can you hold him off long enough for the Shadow Possession or Mind Transfer Jutsu?" Choji shook his head to clear it, and said, "I can try. But hitting that guy was like punching a steel wall. I got hurt more by it than him." He stood and intoned, "Limited Expansion Jutsu."

Choji expanded, becoming nearly ten feet tall, and he charged towards Yama. He grappled with the Sound ninja, but was barely able to hold him in place. Shikamaru asked, "Why the Shadow Possession? Why not Shadow Strangulation?" Temari said, "Physical attacks don't seem to hurt this guy, and the Shadow Possession takes less of your chakra." Shikamaru said, "He still needs to breath though."

Temari sighed and said, "Fine. Do what you want."

Shikamaru chuckled and said, "No, that won't work. You're in charge, you give the orders." Temari tried to glare at him, but looked away, slightly blushing and grinning. Ino sighed and signed, "Mind Transfer Jutsu!" But she suddenly found herself in her own body and saw Temari and Shikamaru looking at her in surprise. "Why didn't it work, Ino?"

"I don't know," Ino snapped, "Maybe Orochimaru placed his brain in a jar somewhere." Choji groaned, "Guys, a little help over here!" Shikamaru swung into action and signed, "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" His shadow extended, reaching around Yama's shadow. But it didn't connect and Shikamaru frowned in surprise. Yama pushed Choji back another step.

"Even my jutsu didn't work, Temari," Shikamaru said, confused. Temari looked worried, "Is he immune to all our jutsus?" Just then Choji flew past them into the building nearby, and shrunk back to normal size. "This guy's tough," he groaned, and Ino began healing him. Shikamaru put his hands together into his thinking pose, and began searching his thoughts.

"Let's buy him some time, guys, "Temari shouted and the three of them circled around Yama, trying to keep his gaze split on all of them. 'Nothing is working,' Shikamaru thought, 'But why?' Ino drew a small pouch, saying, "Temari, give me a breeze, will you?" The Sand kunoichi waved her fan, and Ino released a few paper bombs.

'Ino's jutsu didn't work, which means he has no mind,' Shikamaru pondered, 'No physical injuries, no mind. Could be a puppet. But Choji never said that he felt strange to the touch.'

Yama walked out of the barrage of paper bombs, unscathed. 'My shadow couldn't connect with his, so it must be fake. So is it some sort of GenJutsu? That would explain why he didn't get affected by any attacks. It's worth a try.' Shikamaru clapped his hands together and intoned, "Release!"

The rest of his team looked at him in surprise and then countered his actions when they noticed the look of confusion on his face. In the place where Yama had been standing, a small girl, no more than seven years of age, was floating. She was in the air, apparently in the middle of a translucent bubble of Wind Chakra. The girl was wearing normal clothes and did not appear to have a headband.

"So that's the reason nothing worked on him," Choji said, "There was absolutely nothing to hit."

The child looked surprised and a little scared, when they turned to face her. Her Wind Chakra bubble began lashing out at them aggressively. Temari ordered, "Ino, stop her before she can touch us." The blonde bombshell nodded, and intertwined her fingers again. "Mind Transfer Jutsu."

Ino penetrated the young girl's mind and saw the mental projection of the girl, wearing a faded pink dress, and looking at her in surprise. The domain in her mind was mostly barren, but a lone hawk flew overhead.

"Who are you?" the girl asked Ino, frightened.

"My name is Ino Yamanaka." Ino countered and said, "What is your name?"

The girl relaxed just a little and said, "Yori. Yori of the Nochi clan. Are you going to kill me?"

Ino stared at her, at a loss for words. She finally replied, "I don't want to kill you." Yori said quickly, "But Orochimaru-san said that the people of the Leaf village would try to kill me, if they found out my secret. And you are fighting me."

"Well," Ino said, "You did attack us first. We were trying to defend ourselves. We thought we were fighting Yama, a mean man who we were told is very dangerous." Yori considered that and said, "Orochimaru-san said that anyone who knows my secret would want to kill me. That's why he showed me how to make Yama. So I can stop the people who know about me from killing me."

Ino gasped, as she suddenly realized the full implication of that statement. So Orochimaru had not even left young children from his weird and twisted plans. She asked, "Did a lot of people find out about your plans, Yori-chan?" Yori warmed up to her at that honorific and nodded, "They did. But Orochimaru-san would tell me where to find them and then…"

Ino said, "And then you killed them?"

Yori shuddered and said, "No. Roc-chan did it for me." Then the girl suddenly froze and said, "I wasn't supposed to tell you that." Ino felt the girl trying to take control of her body again and gently stopped her.

Shikamaru shouted in frustration, "What's going on, Ino?" Ino replied, using the girl's voice, "Hold on a little, I'm talking to Yori." Shikamaru said, confused, "Yori?" Ino replied, "Her name is Yori, of the Nochi clan."

"The Nochi clan. Why does that sound familiar?" Temari wondered.

"Yori, what do you mean, Roc-chan did it for you?" Ino asked. Yori shuddered again and said, "I fought them if I had to, but if I had to kill them…I would let Roc-chan do it." Ino asked, "But who is this Roc-chan?"

"You really don't know my secret, do you?" Yori said, surprised. Ino looked up to see the hawk suddenly descending. Choji said, "Roc-chan?" And Ino realized that she had spoken out loud. Temari suddenly gasped and yelled, "Ino, be careful! I've heard of the Nochi clan before! They lived on the border of the Land of Wind and the Land of Birds. It is said that centuries ago, the clan in order to protect the Land of Birds, sealed away a demon known as the Shadow Roc, into one of their clan members. According to legend, the Shadow Roc is not as powerful as the Tailed Beasts, but is so huge that all of them could easily sit atop it and wouldn't even touch each other."

"No SHIT!" Ino yelled blankly, as the Shadow Roc circled lower and lower until it filled up the entire sky. Suddenly Ino realized how high the hawk must have been flying to look so miniscule. The Roc landed and the chakra it exuded forced the Yamanaka out of the girl's mind. Yori's head lifted and her brown eyes began to glow weirdly.

"I should thank you, " came a deep voice from Yori's mouth. "You interfered with her mind, giving me a chance to take total control. From two hundred years, I have been passed down from mother to child, just waiting for a chance to break free. But I'm not really interested in thanking you, so I shall just kill you instead."

Shikamaru said, "You knew that Orochimaru was just using her, didn't you?"

The demon snorted and said, "Of course I did. Orochimaru and I had a deal. He taught the girl how to release me and in return, I killed for him. I needed the serpent until he could free me. But now that I am free, I will absorb the girl's will and become stronger than ever." Then he twisted Yori's face into a weird smile and said, "Look at me chatting. Time for you to die."

The translucent bubble expanded into a fist and struck Choji straight in the face. Choji landed inside a house, where he failed to pull himself out of the table he had crashed into. Shikamaru shouted, "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" and his shadow connected with the real shadow of Yori. The Roc sneered at him, "You pathetic fool. I control this chakra directly with my mind. You freezing my body will not help you in the slightest."

Temari nodded in spite of herself and said, "It's just like Gaara with the sand." Then she leapt in front of Shikamaru to block an air chakra kick with her fan and said, "Shika, strangle her."

Shikamaru looked at her in shock, "You want me to kill a child?"

She looked at him sadly and said, "We don't have another choice. None of us can penetrate that barrier." Ino snorted, "I beg to differ. I'll try to take back control from the Roc. If I fail, only then you go ahead with that plan."

Choji protested, "It's too dangerous, Ino." Ino said, "I have to try."

Before Choji could say another word, Ino Mind Transferred into the mind of the young girl. She saw the form of a hawk, so large that its wings could have covered the entire Leaf Village. Its fierce eyes looked at Ino and the kunoichi suddenly found herself back in her own body. She struck the monster's psyche again and was able to break through this time.

The entire domain had changed. What had been a simple plain ground had now become a rocky, mountainous terrain, which was dominated by the giant hawk. Ino shouted, "Where are you, Yori?" She heard a cry to her left and looked around to find the girl trapped underneath one of the Roc's talons. One of the claws had torn her right leg to shreds.

Ino rushed over to her and said, "Yori, are you alright?" Yori cried, "I tried to stop Roc-chan… no, the Shadow Roc, but he was stronger than before. He hurt me." Ino looked at the wound to see not blood, but memories of the girl leaking out. Ino couldn't stop the wound. She wondered what to do.

"Yori, how do I stop the Roc?" Ino asked her gently.

"I'll have to get up to its forehead, where its seal is." Yori said.

Ino nodded, and stuck an imaginary kunai into the Roc's talon. The giant hawk cried out in pain and looked down to see what was causing it discomfort. Just then Ino managed to pull Yori out of the small gap she had managed to create. The Roc shouted, "YOU! How did you get back in here? I'll tear your soul apart and consume you!"

"Ino," Yori whispered, as Ino picked her up and carried her piggyback, "Those people I killed, didn't know my secret, did they? They weren't trying to hurt me." Ino said, "Don't say that. You didn't kill them, the Roc did."

"I trusted Orochimaru-san," Yori said, "I attacked those people and let them die." Ino replied, "If you feel that way, take responsibility, and help me fight the Roc. Now hold on tight," Ino instructed, and she jumped onto the raptor's back. She started towards the creature's neck, but the demon hopped, flapping its wings and rolling to the side. Without any sort of hold, the Kunoichi was forced to jump clear. The Roc flew higher, and then dove at them. With the extra weight, Yamanaka found it harder to avoid the attack, but she managed. The teen shifted the child, and drew a kunai again.

When the Roc strafed them again, Ino blocked its beak with her blade, but was knocked down by the claws. She twisted as she fell, so she hit the ground on her side, instead of landing on Yori. The Roc's head darted towards Ino, its razor sharp beak wide open. Before it hit, Yori grabbed Ino's spiritual kunai, and pushed off with her good leg, stabbing the avian in the neck. The spirit swung its bill back, cleaving into Yori's neck.

"No," Ino scrambled up, but she was too late. The Roc tore out Yori's heart. It tilted its head back, and swallowed the girl's core. "Next," the demon crowed in triumph, but the mentalist vanished from his mind. "Do it, Shikamaru," Ino was already crying as she opened her eyes. "Ino, what happened?" Temari asked, worried. "That monster… It killed Yori. It destroyed her soul. You have to kill it quickly, before it finishes taking over her body."

The normally lazy ninja looked upset, but nevertheless, he signed his more powerful technique and intoned, "Shadow Strangulation Jutsu." His shadow extended and snapped the girl's neck.

The Roc roared in pain and as the glow began to fade from the young girl's eyes, the chakra surrounding her suddenly lashed out, holding Choji's throat in a vicelike grip. Choji began to suffocate, but the chakra was weakening and Temari quickly lashed at it with her own air. The chakra destabilized, leaving behind a choking Choji. Ino quickly went to heal him.

"He has a pulse," Ino said in relief. Choji's eyes opened and he exhaled sharply. He took several deep breaths before sitting up and saying, "That was a close one." Ino helped him stand. Her relief suddenly turned into sadness, as Shikamaru walked over with Yori in his arms. She looked so small.

"Is this the fate of all Jinchuuriki?" Temari said quietly, and Shikamaru glared at her. She caught his glare and took control of her emotions. "Ino, take Choji to Shizune-san. And Yori, too. Shikamaru and I will continue to assist the True Sound." Ino nodded and turned to help Choji who said, "Carry Yori. I can walk."

Gaara's team headed towards the reinforced citadel in the center of the village, occasionally assisting the True Sound wherever necessary. Each time, Gaara had questioned the allies or enemies about Kabuto's location, and had received nothing regarding the new leader of the Sound village. So they continued to the citadel until they reached the huge steel doors that barred them from entering.

"Sakura." Gaara requested and the pink haired kunoichi stepped forward, pulling her gloves tighter. With a single blow, she punched the reinforced door inside, knocking over around twenty Sound shinobi standing waiting for them. The rest of them who hadn't been knocked back by the door readied themselves and Naruto crossed his fingers.

Kakashi said, "This is where we split up." After they had been dispatched, the Leaf, Sand, and True Sound had been attacking together, until there were no more frontlines of the Sound enemies. Kakashi took his teams and went off towards the north, while Natsuki took control of the Sand teams and went west. The True Sound headed east. Kakashi split up all the teams and said, "Find out all the major sport of battle and try to capture as much ground as possible."

All the other teams nodded and scattered. Kakashi was left with his own team, and Shino asked quietly, "What is the plan, Kakashi sensei?"

The Jonin looked at him and said. "No clue."

Sai sighed and Kiba almost fell through the ground at the Copy Ninja's attitude. Then Kakashi said seriously, "Kiba, Akamaru, see if you can smell anything. Shino, dispatch your bugs. Sai, create a few birds and have them scout the area. For now, we'll head to the core of the village to try to find one of the targets."

The four shinobi started to move towards the town square but before they could start moving at top speed, Akamaru suddenly dug in his claws. Everyone stopped and Sai said impatiently, "What is it? Does he need to go to the bathroom?"

Akamaru growled at him and then yipped at Kiba. Kiba said, "He smells something dangerous at two-o-clock." Shino dispatched his insects, which returned in a couple of moments and he said, "My insects also smell an odd chakra signature from there." Kakashi nodded and said, "Well, then that's as good a direction as any."

Sai snorted, but followed them nevertheless. They reached a building and he said incredulously, "A theater?" Kiba looked at Akamaru and said, "Are you sure about this?" Akamaru yipped and nodded firmly. Kakashi pulled the handle of the door and pulled it open. A strong perfume wafted outside. The four shinobi and dog slunk in.

The first thing they noticed was a True Sound kunoichi, lying on the floor. Shino knelt and examined her, saying, "She appears to have been drugged."

Kiba needled Sai, "Well, it seems that Akamaru was right after all."

Sai said, "I never said he was not. I just feel it foolish to follow the directions of a lesser beast." Kakashi caught Kiba before he could leap at Sai. "Not the right crowd to say that, Sai," Kakashi said. Sai nodded, still not intimidated. The four of them moved into the auditorium, where the perfume was even stronger. They could hear music and voices inside. Shino opened the door a crack and Kakashi peeped through the gap.

"I see two shinobi of the True Sound in the back row. Both look hypnotized." Kakashi said. Kiba asked, "Why do you think that?" Kakashi simply said, "They are both looking at the stage and drooling."

"But what are they staring at?" Sai insisted.

Kakashi drew out a small mirror and extended it around the door. But when he looked at the mirror, he was staring right into the face of a beautiful young woman. "Like what you see?" the woman said, both amused and suggestive. Kakashi scrambled back in surprise and pulled out a kunai. The woman pushed the door and sauntered in. Her outfit was little more than a translucent ribbon, wrapped around her huge breasts multiple times, then once around her stomach and again repeatedly around her hips.

"Target four," Sai observed, "Aika. But where's the other one?"

_"Target 4 is a bit of a misnomer," Tsunade explained, "As the target is two individuals." The image appeared, and a number of the shinobi vocalized surprise or approval. "Aika and Aimi Kouin are identical twins," Shin explained, "though Aimi swapped her hair and eye color so they can be told apart. Aika has the green hair and blue eyes, Aimi the blue hair and green eyes. As you might suspect, their specialty is seduction, using NinJutsu and GenJutsu to enhance their own natural… talents." _

_"I'll bet," one of the Sand Ninja shouted. Both of the Kages glared at him, in their respective ways. The Chunin blanched under the scrutiny. "They never go on missions with anyone else, but they have been known to practice on the men of the Hidden Sound. No one ever is able to recall any specific jutsu, but no one ever complains, either."_

"My sister is inside," the seductress said sweetly, "Do you wish to see her too?" The scent was becoming deeper and the Leaf ninjas were finding it difficult to concentrate. She caught Kakashi's arm and said seductively, "Put away that kunai, I'm not going to hurt you." The Jonin complied, putting away the kunai. Aika urged them, "Come in, watch the show. It's especially for men." The four ninjas' eyes went blank and they followed her in.

Aimi looked at them appraisingly and said, "I don't know sis. Kabuto-senpai wanted only True Sound shinobi. Aika argued, "But he didn't say anything about Leaf ninjas either way." Aimi nodded and said, "But I would still feel safer with the rebels."

The green haired beauty said, "Do you know who that is? That is Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan. With Sasuke-san gone, this might be Kabuto-senpai's last chance to study the Sharingan. A transplanted one, no less. Think of how he would reward us if we gave him the Copy Ninja."

Aimi shuddered in anticipation and nodded. "Fine, let's kill the rest and take Kakashi." The blue eyed vixen pouted, "It seems such a waste. Three hunks of men…"

Aimi pondered over that and looked at the laps of the three Leaf Chunin. "I suppose we could see what they have to offer first," she said lecherously. As the two of them started over to the Leaf ninjas, Shino suddenly rose up and said quietly, "That will be enough."

Aimi and Aika stared at him, stunned. Aika said, "How did you break free?" Shino held up his hands, showing them the insects crawling over them. Both of the beauties blanched and scuttled away from him, looking repulsed. Shino said, "Once I was entranced by your scents, my insects immediately began to filter it. After I was free, I pretended to be entranced in order to learn of your plans."

Kiba also stood and said proudly, "Those artificial pheromones could never fool a nose like this. I was just following Shino and Kakashi sensei's lead."

Sai stood as well and Aika looked at him pointedly, saying, "What's your story?"

Kiba interrupted, "He has the emotional range of a sponge cake. He wouldn't understand sexual attraction, romance or seduction if it stabbed him in the heart with a kunai." Sai looked mildly annoyed, but let the comment pass. Kiba said, "Ready, Kakashi sensei?" When he didn't get a reply, the twins smiled and all of the Chunin turned to look at the Copy Ninja, who was still staring at the twins in rapture. A dark spot appeared on the Jonin's mask.

Kiba sighed, "Jeez, Naruto said he was a pervert, but this?" Shino said, "We will just have to deal with them ourselves." Sai snorted and took out his scroll. Kiba whistled and Akamaru burst in. Shino jumped onto the stage as bugs started to swarm around him.

"It's still four on two," Kiba told them, as he and Akamaru joined Shino, "And we already beat your main weapon."

"Silly boy," Aimi slid swiftly behind him, stabbing towards his neck with a needle, "That little bit of pheromone GenJutsu was hardly our best technique." A black and white eagle nearly struck her, but she slid out of the way, blurring slightly as she did. Though Sai's attack missed, it had the intended effect of saving Kiba. "See, sister," Aika said as her wind Jutsu swept Shino's beetles away from her, "You wanted to destroy such a wonderful painter." "It's not like we can keep him," Aimi countered, "Not now that he's awake."

"I suppose not," she pouted slightly. Shino's chakra caused the bugs to link limbs like chain, overcoming the air current scattering them. Before they could connect with the lecherous woman, she sidestepped, her form becoming soft around the edges. "Hall of Echoes Jutsu," Aimi completed her hand signs while ducking under Akamaru's paw. The ninja hound dropped to the ground from the painful sound in his ears, as did his master. "Release," Kiba attempted to cancel the GenJutsu, and touched Akamaru to free him too. But the spell was not completely disrupted; an annoying buzz remained.

"My GenJutsu are highly resistant to such weak techniques," she taunted, when he tugged on his earlobe to try and clear his head. "Well," Inuzuka grimaced, "If I take you out, your technique goes with you. Akamaru!" The large dog barked once, and moved closer. "Paired Transformation: Canine Sapiens Jutsu!" Each of the partners transformed, Akamaru's muzzle flattened, and his forelegs became arms. Kiba sprouted fur and hunched forward, his nails becoming claws and his teeth lengthening. Akamaru dove forward, nearly clipping her with his claws. But the sharpened nail passed through her ill-defined edge. "Water Style: Bubble Burst Jutsu," the Kunoichi exploded a sphere of water between herself and the two were-dogs, and both were thrown painfully back. "High level NinJutsu and GenJutsu?" Sai was skeptical, "How powerful are these two?"

The former ANBU member sent wolves to attack both siblings, but the sister fighting Shino broke away long enough to bury a single needle in the 'skull' of each ink beast, destroying them. Aburame tried to take advantage of the distraction, but once again, the attack just barely missed her. She prepared to strike back, but was interrupted.

"So that's the trick," Kakashi Hatake said, stretching as he stood languidly. The five fighters all paused to look at him. "You see, ever since Shin told us you altered your appearances to look different," he continued, walking slowly up to the stage, "I've been wondering why. After all, it would be to your advantage, if your opponents couldn't be sure which sister they were fighting."

"Unless," he hopped lightly up on the stage, "The idea was for your enemies to think they know who they are fighting. Each of the three of you mastered a different skill set. Then in battle, you substitute for one another, switching your hair and eye color. That way the 'twins' appear impossible to hit, and masters of a large variety of jutsu. Plus, whichever of you is hiding maintains your pheromone jutsu, to keep your opponents distracted."

"Three?" Shino asked what the other two Chunin were thinking. "Yup, three," Kakashi nodded. "One," he pointed to Aika. "Two," the Leaf Jonin indicated Aimi. "Three," he quickly turned, and flung a kunai into the balcony. Two needles emerged from empty air, knocking the blade off course. The GenJutsu vanished, and a third sister was revealed, with blue hair and eyes, but otherwise the same as the two on stage.

"You were never really under our control, were you?" Aisa asked, looking down on him with anger. "Sorry," Kakashi sounded sincere, "You're all really pretty, but you're not really my type. My tastes go for more slender, and a darker hair color." "We can do that too," Aika offered. "It's too late for that, sister," Aimi shouted.

"Kiba, the one on the balcony is the weapons master. Shino, green eyes uses most of the GenJutsu; Sai, green hair is the NinJutsu expert." Kakashi's words were both warning and direction, "Keep your eyes open so they don't switch on you again." "What are you going to do?" Kiba growled as he and Akamaru leapt off the stage, on the backs of the second row of seats. "I've double duty, clean-up and rescue."

The Copy Ninja lifted his hands, and formed a Chidori around each. Keeping his palms flat and parallel, he darted up the aisle, across the back row, and then returned to the stage. He repeated the circuit, and this time the air was noticeably fresher. "You're using a killing technique to clean the air," Sai's tone was dismissive, even as he unleashed a pair of attackers on Aimi. This time, his illustrated animations were a double mockery, pin-up versions of Sakura and Ino, which struck at the seductress.

"It's called electro-static air purification. Now that they aren't maintaining the perfume levels, I can get rid of it," the teacher explained, "And you'll find many deadly techniques have alternate uses. Just ask Naruto about the Rasengan some time." The two canine hybrids jumped up to the balcony, surrounding her. Whenever the third sister attempted to attack one of them, the other would stalk closer.

"Illusion Art: Reflect Me Jutsu," Aika yelled, and to Shino's surprise every other person in the room took on her appearance. But he did not blink, did not give her a chance to switch with any of her duplicates. "Ninja Art: Compound Eyes Jutsu," Shino countered, connecting with the bugs perched on his shoulders, to enhance his vision. He sent out a small swarm, his tiny allies unaffected by the mirage. Unable to substitute, the enchantress was not able to avoid all of the insects, and they began to consume her chakra supply.

The True Sound Ninja captives began to recover from their fascination. Aimi was struck hard by the black and white painting of Sakura, and the copy of Ino caught her arms, spreading ink onto her skin as she pinned the sound Kunoichi. Without their swapping trick, the sisters realized they were ill prepared for a direct battle. "I surrender," Aisa pragmatically dropped her needles and put up her hands. "Aisa," Aika yelled at her sibling this time.

"In another minute it will go from the three of us against the five of them, to the three of us against the fifteen of them," the oldest sister responded, "And Kabuto-senpai isn't worth dying for. He's not even worth risking a scar for. You are far too enamored with him for our own good, Aika." Aimi stayed out of the argument, but subtly stopped resisting Sai's creations. One of the rebel captives groaned, and the youngest triplet's resolve weakened. She raised her hands in submission too, and could not hide her relief when the beetles on her skin withdrew.

Kakashi looked around, "Where's Konohamaru?"


	22. Chapter 22:The Serpent VS The Fox

**Chapter 22: The Serpent VS The Fox**

Having finished off all the guards, Gaara and his team headed up to the laboratories in the citadel. They found a large audience chamber which was empty. It carried an air of Orochimaru's decorative style to it, with lots of columns and a dim glow from the torches on the walls. The edges of the opposite side of the room were dark, and the shinobi realized that they were not alone.

"Well, I couldn't say I didn't expect this," came Kabuto Yakushi's voice, as he walked out of the darkness in a cliché villain style. "I thought that Shin Busata was planning something but never in my dreams would I have expected him to hire the Leaf **and** Sound village to assassinate me. And the Kazekage and Nine Tails Jinchuuriki no less."

He turned and said, "Four on one seems a little unfair, don't you think? Goro, Yuna, can you assist me?" An oddly gentle voice replied, "Of course, Kabuto-sama."

The Kazekage's team turned towards the voice and found two shinobi staring them down. The woman who had answered Kabuto was taller than the man she was standing with. Though she looked normal at first sight, the Leaf ninjas caught sight of her extra arm. Neji grimaced in remembrance. The man she was standing next to looked as though he had been chiseled from stone. He was short and stout, and looked as though he weighed two hundred pounds of solid muscle.

Gaara spoke, "I will deal with Kabuto. The three of you will have to make sure we are not interrupted by those two." Naruto nodded, and Kabuto smirked, saying, "Goro, Yuna, kill Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno but I want Neji Hyuga alive."

Kabuto hopped back as Gaara sent out a fist of sand to meet his head. The two Sound shinobi charged at the Leaf ninjas, who braced themselves. Gaara demanded menacingly, "What do you want with Neji Hyuga?"

Kabuto smirked again, "How childish, Gaara. People would kill to have the Byakugan. I merely want to study it, so that I can duplicate it and create my own Byakugan soldiers." Gaara sent three spikes of sand at Kabuto, who dodged them and threw two scalpels at the sandman.

"You will have to survive for that," he replied with a dangerous tone.

"Naruto Uzumaki," the bald muscleman said in a normal voice; Naruto blinked, he was expecting a grunt. "Leaf village ninja, almost sixteen years of age, orphan son of Kushina Uzumaki, and father unknown. Low level TaiJutsu, Shadow Clone Jutsu and Rasengan are the only known NinJutsu, said to have Nine-Tails sealed within."

Naruto was unnerved by this information, although most of it was three years old. "Yeah, so what? What's your story?" The man named Goro ignored him and separated him from his team-mates.

"I see no need to inform you of that."

Naruto drew Kitsune and charged at the man. Goro deflected Naruto's attempt to strike him in the head and said, "Ah, recent intelligence indicated a new weapon. I will need to make note of it." Naruto tried to swing Kitsune at his waist, but faster than he could see, Goro pulled it out of his grip.

"Such exquisite craftsmanship. Intricate chakra bonding, titanium alloy…" Goro trailed off as he got shocked, literally, and the weapon disappeared from his hand, leaving behind a small hole, and reappeared in Naruto's grip.

"I see. It also has defensive measured which will implement a Lightning Jutsu into anyone who tries to use it, other than you. A well-built weapon." Goro continued, as he took a step forward and vanished. Before Naruto saw what happened, he was on the ground.

As Sakura and Neji looked at Yuna, they saw that she had not two, but three right arms, along with her left arm. Initially, the triplet of arms seemed to be joined together, but under their gaze, Yuna separated them. Sakura asked rather rudely, "Who are you?"

Yuna replied, "I am Yuna of the Sound. Kabuto-sama improved my nervous system and skeletal structure, to help me control my additional arms better. They work perfectly with the jutsu which Orochimaru-sama taught me."

Yuna drew four shuriken in each hand from her pouch and threw them at the two Leaf nins. As they flew, she signed and intoned, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu." Each of the shurikens split into five, and Sakura paled as the cloud of shuriken bore down onto them. Neji appraised his opponent before taking a step in front of Sakura. A seal spread out of his feet and he announced, a little regretfully, "Protection of the Eight Trigrams: One Hundred Twenty Eight Palms." Moving with immense precision and speed, Neji cut down each and every shuriken by sending his chakra through them, using Hinata's jutsu as well as she did. Some of the shuriken simply fell apart into pieces but some burst into clouds. Not a single shuriken came close to Neji. Sakura taunted, "Well, I guess your arms won't work against a Hyuga very well." Neji simply observed Yuna with his Byakugan.

A giant wave of sand reached over Kabuto, but the medical ninja was able to carve through it with a wind chakra enhanced scalpel. He charged through the gap and stabbed at Gaara, increasing the length of the chakra scalpel as he did. Gaara didn't even move, sending more sand up to block Kabuto and hold his hand as well. Kabuto barely managed to escape the grip of the sand and turned his scalpel into a fire scalpel. The sand which was near it immediately fused into glass.

Gaara thought, 'I shouldn't let him cut at my sand; I cannot control glass.' Kabuto smirked, "I must say I am disappointed. You aren't half as powerful as I expected you to be." Gaara simply stared at him with his cold gaze and Kabuto suddenly felt a huge killing intent released from Gaara. He shuddered slightly and Gaara's mouth twitched upwards.

The Kazekage did not respond to Kabuto but his next spear of sand came at the doctor thrice as fast, and Kabuto could not dodge fast enough. He took a small cut to his hand as he hopped back. But the sand particles had entered his body, and were starting to infiltrate his blood. Kabuto smiled, "That won't work. I can make my blood course through my body so fast that your sand will be dissolved immediately." Gaara felt him lose his control over the sand in Kabuto's body and stopped infusing chakra into them.

As Kabuto dodged another spear of sand, he said, "Looks like I may have underestimated you." Gaara replied coldly, "Or maybe I just overestimated you."

Naruto got up, facing Goro again, and said, "You're fast." Goro smiled and said, "Faster than you know." Kabuto's right hand man was again instantly at Naruto's side, aiming a punch at the boy's throat. Naruto barely dodged it by putting Kitsune ahead of him. But just as he swung Kitsune at the bald shinobi, Goro disappeared again, reappearing behind him and kicking him to the ground.

Naruto got up again, and signed quickly, "Earth Style: Stone Claws Jutsu." Goro displayed a brief look of surprise, before dodging all the claws which Naruto had unleashed on him. He turned to look at Naruto, only to see six of them bearing down on him. He quickly caught the first facsimile and threw it into the rest of them, destroying three of them in the process. The rest of them went for the Uzumaki Barrage, but he slid out of their circle and destroyed them as well.

Naruto, meanwhile, was signing and he shouted, "Wind Style: Cyclone Spikes Barrage!" Lots and lots of tiny wind chakra cones shot out towards Goro, who smirked and disappeared. He reappeared behind Naruto and kicked him to the ground yet again.

Naruto got up, shouting, "Dammit! How are you so fast?!"

Goro grinned, "Master Kabuto upgraded my body. He gave me modified legs and a double circulatory system." Naruto mocked, "So your power isn't even real." Goro looked annoyed at that insult and said, "It's real enough to kill you!" He suddenly slid into Naruto's area and punched him hard in the gut, before going behind him again and applying a sleeper hold on him.

Sakura charged at Yuna, swinging her right hand into a huge muscle boosted punch. The Sound kunoichi caught the pink haired girl's hand with all three of her right hands and grimaced. She kicked at the Leaf ninja while trying to shake feeling back into her right hands, which had gone numb. Sakura caught her leg and threw her into the air. Yuna tumbled through the air, and just managed to straighten herself before she landed onto a pillar. She quickly threw another ten shuriken at the two Leaf ninjas. Sakura jumped out of the way, and Neji calmly knocked them out of their paths with his Gentle Fist.

Yuna launched herself off the wall and hurtled towards Neji. He waited calmly and she fired off two punches at him. Neji blocked her punches with his left hand, while sending chakra into his right hand to disrupt her right hands with his TaiJutsu. She hopped back, trying to free the chakra points which Neji had closed. Neji saw Sakura closing in and looked at her, speaking with his eyes, "Help Naruto. I'll handle her."

Sakura then noticed that Naruto was not holding up well. She nodded and said, "Be careful." Neji inclined his head with a look that plainly said, 'I got this.'

Yuna, meanwhile, was looking at Neji dubiously. She said, "Do you think you can handle me, just because you blocked my opening attacks? I'll crush you!" Neji snorted and she charged at him in rage. He didn't even move until she reached the point of no return, before spinning around and intoning, "Eight Trigrams: Rotation!"

Yuna was pushed back, and went hurtling through the air. She managed to straighten herself before dropping to the ground and snarled at Neji, who slid into his fullest Gentle Fist stance.

Naruto was starting to fade out. He tried to break through, but Goro had held his right arm tightly, so that Naruto would not be able to sign. Naruto felt the Nine Tails starting to get annoyed, but managed not to show it. He tried to get a kunai out with his left hand, but he was weakening and couldn't stab at Goro.

Suddenly Goro yelled in pain, as his arms loosened around Naruto. Even stronger arms had grabbed his hands and started crushing them. Sakura pulled Goro hard and threw him into the wall across the room. Naruto gasped, breathing hard, as Sakura pulled him to his feet, saying, "What are you doing, baka?"

He protested, "That guy is faster than Lee. He keeps getting behind me. Careful!" Goro had darted behind Sakura, aiming his fist at her head, but Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her down, making them roll a short distance away. Sakura landed on top of Naruto, and blushed. She jumped up quickly, before he could notice, and shook it off. Naruto got up, oblivious, and said, "See?"

Sakura nodded, saying, "Back to back, then?"

Naruto aligned his spinal cord to Sakura and they waited for Goro to make his next move.

Gaara was starting to run low on sand. He tried to get behind Kabuto, but the snake like man didn't give him a single chance. After Kabuto had realized the Gaara could not control glass, he had extended his fire chakra scalpels, cutting off Gaara's ammunition slash by slash. As the building was entirely of brick and concrete, there had been no earth for Gaara to convert into sand. The Kazekage shifted his attacks to defense and started sending chakra to the earth below the building. But it was very slow because of the distance and he was losing sand faster than he could make it.

Kabuto smirked and said, "You're useless without your sand. Maybe you should surrender now. Perhaps we can come to a truce, being former allies and leaders of our respective villages."

Gaara questioned, "Can you honestly say that you played no part in the murder of my father?" Kabuto did not answer him, but glanced at his left hand.

Gaara replied, "I thought so. Not that it matters anyway; my village has a contract with the True Sound, and I keep my commitments. As for me being useless, well…" Gaara's hands suddenly shot up and he signed at an astonishing speed, "Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

Three huge air blades of sharpened chakra crossed the room, aiming for Kabuto. Kabuto had no time to react, and raised his left arm, absorbing the blows. Gaara looked at him in mild confusion, before noticing the color of Kabuto's arm, through the slice in his sleeve.

"Damn you! Say something already!" Yuna shouted at Neji, who simply observed her with his Byakugan, marking her weak spots. She charged at him again, firing four punches at once, but he slid through all of them, and disabled the chakra points in her chest.

He finally said, "Stop this. Turn away and support the True Sound."

The kunoichi snorted, amidst panting from the injury she had just sustained. "As if I would ever betray my master. I was always loyal to Kabuto-sama, even when serving Orochimaru. And don't forget; Kabuto-sama saved your clan heir's life once, by repairing the damage that you yourself did to her."

Neji froze; he had not known that. Yuna smirked, but Neji's eyes suddenly glowed and he spun around, intoning, "Eight Trigrams: Two Palms!" The Yuna who had been standing in front of him disappeared, and the real one reappeared behind him. He continued the attack up until the Sixty Four Palms.

The Sound Kunoichi's GenJutsu failed, and she dropped to her knees, her entire chakra network shut down, and the Gentle Fist injuries bearing down on her. Neji said, "Until I find out why Kabuto saved Hinata-san, I will not know whether I owe him."

The Sound kunoichi countered, "Cute. But your little Gentle Fist attacks won't work on me. To control these arms of mine, Kabuto-sama gave me specially enhanced chakra control."

She snapped out her left arm and Neji was astonished to see her normal chakra flow returned. However, he noticed her chakra levels drop significantly. Also, the damage to her internal organs done by the Gentle Fist was not repaired. Despite her injuries, she charged at him again. Neji waited, and as she bore down on him, he raised his hand aiming at her, and said, "Eight Trigrams: Massive Air Palm!"

The attack propelled Yuna away and she smashed into the ceiling, bounced off it, and plummeted to the floor. Neji sighed and walked to her. He saw her panting and said, "If you had heeded my advice, I would not have to do this." She spat at him and said, "I don't need your pity, you pathetic fool." Neji's eyes glowed with anger and he touched her chest over her heart, intoning, "Assassin's Palm." He shut down the chakra points in her heart and walked off as Yuna died silently.

Naruto drew Kitsune again, and Sakura held a kunai in her right hand. Goro circled around, looking for an opening. He suddenly began to run very fast in circles around them, hoping to attack them unawares. Sakura said, "Brace yourself, Naruto."

She dropped to one knee and punched the floor. Hard. The entire room shuddered from the impact, and a wave spread out through the floor. Naruto barely managed to keep his feet steady and shouted, "Dammit Sakura, we're on the third floor!"

Goro was not able to stop in time, and tumbled into the air. As he focused on straightening himself up, Sakura jumped at him, and brought her fist to his back. He went down smashing into the floor and Sakura hopped back to the ground, while aligning her back to Naruto again.

Goro jumped out of the hole which he had made. He looked at the kunoichi and said, "I forgot. Sakura Haruno, apprentice to the Fifth Hokage. Specialist in TaiJutsu and minor NinJutsu. But I can wear you down easily enough."

Sakura snorted and said, "By the time you wear us down, you'll have worn yourself down. Having a binary circulatory system is not only a boon but also a curse. You have shortened stamina, giving it up for the ability to finish your opponent quickly." Goro said, "Then I guess I 'll just have to kill you right now. Fire Style: Fire Comets."

Sakura paled at the sight of seven comets of fire hurtling towards her. But Naruto spun around, taking a step forward, and brandished Kitsune at the comets. Kitsune glowed, and the fire comets disappeared. Sakura looked at him questioningly, but he said, "Later."

Goro paled, seeing one of his best attacks being evaded so easily. He circled around them again, and darted in to attack, he managed to punch Sakura in the chin once but she shrugged it off, having taken much worse by the Fifth Hokage. As he hopped back to think of a new strategy, Sakura whispered, "Hey Naruto." The knucklehead looked at her and whispered back, "What is it?"

Sakura said in a low voice, "This guy…there's something weird about him. His punches are not as hard as they should be, considering his muscle-mass. And I've noticed that apart from kicking you to the ground from behind, he doesn't attack with his legs. I think he's still adjusting to whatever Kabuto did to him."

Naruto nodded and whispered, "His arms are also not as fast as his legs. I have an idea." She looked at him and he said, "I just need you to keep him occupied for a couple of minutes while I gather chakra." She replied, "I'll try, but he's too fast for me to block if he tries to attack you."

Just then, Goro attacked Sakura, and she crossed her arms in front of her to block him. Naruto hopped back and started pooling his chakra together. Goro noticed him and tried to get to him, but Sakura had grabbed his hand when he attacked, and she was stronger. He couldn't free himself in time.

Naruto spread his hands out together and intoned, "Hidden Arts! Negative Chakra Wave!" A purple aura of chakra extended from his hands and struck Goro straight in the stomach. Goro fell backwards, shocked at what had happened. Naruto dropped to one knee. He thought, 'Oh man, that really tires one out.' Sakura went to him and asked, "What happened, Naruto? Are you alright?"

Naruto stood and said, "I'm fine. But first…"

He shunshined straight to Goro, who tried to stand and failed. He said, "I didn't think that a brat like you could know this jutsu." Naruto grinned, "Your mistake." Then he raised Kitsune and brought it down over Goro's head, knocking him out cold. He turned to see Gaara falling.

Kabuto smirked, "Who would have thought that the same hand which killed the Fourth Kazekage would also claim the Fifth Kazekage? I'm quite lucky." Then he looked up at Naruto and Sakura, saying, "I'm sorry, I don't have time to play with all of you. I must take my leave."

Sakura rushed towards Gaara as Kabuto ran back through a door and vanished. Naruto also ran towards Gaara, his eyes red with anger. He managed to control the Nine Tails somehow. He reached towards Gaara, saw his state, and said, "Neji, come here."

Neji ran over to them. "What should we do, Naruto, Sakura?" Gaara began to speak, "Heal me partly, Sakura. I have to kill him. It is my duty. I must get revenge for my father." Naruto said, "Oh, shut it, Gaara. Neji, get Gaara to the medical camp. Shizune can take care of him. Sakura, heal him until you can get him to the camp. I'm going to deal with Kabuto."

Sakura began to argue but Naruto said, "Look, there's no time for an argument. Gaara's the wounded, you're the medic, Neji's the guy who carries Gaara, I'm the guy who takes out the bad guy. We all have our duties here. Get going. I'll be fine." Gaara's eyes began to shut and Sakura nodded and said, "Alright, Naruto. Best of luck. I'll try to get back as soon as possible." He nodded.

Sakura began healing Gaara even as Neji picked him up. They began to jog out of the citadel and Naruto began running off towards the direction Kabuto was headed in. He ignored the false trails that Kabuto had created him, his nose leading him straight to a laboratory on the fifth floor. He entered the lab and as expected, the door closed behind him, enclosing him in darkness.

"Well well well." Kabuto's voice appeared through the gloom. He said, "I always wanted to study you as well, Naruto. You are a fine subject. How do you regenerate so fast? Is it the Nine Tails? Or is it our tenacious life force as an Uzumaki?"

Naruto said, "I've always wanted to pound the crap out of you too, Kabuto. Why don't you show yourself?" Naruto looked around him to see cylinders full of a greenish liquid. What was held in them made him almost puke. Each cylinder consisted of chunks of bones, muscles, flesh and skin, mostly held up in a human form.

Kabuto asked, "I see you like my treasure."

Naruto was disgusted. He said, "What the hell is all this?"

Kabuto calmly replied, "You are looking at the remains of Lord Orochimaru's last three hosts. I was able to gather all of this from after he managed to take their bodies. They have been most informative. Too bad that Sasuke killed him. I was looking forward to studying the remains of an Uchiha."

Naruto went to the table of computers nearby and calmly smashed one of the monitors. Kabuto smirked somewhere in the darkness, "Oh, I seem to have touched a nerve. But do you really think that breaking these displays is going to affect me?"

Naruto didn't seem unsettled by that. Rather, he simply took out one of the table's legs. The entire setup crashed to the floor. This turned Kabuto silent. Naruto smashed the entire system beyond repair.

Kabuto suddenly said, "The data is all backed up and I can always replace those. I don't know what you're trying to accomplish here but it won't work."

Naruto casually stepped up to a green cylinder and said, "What about these, huh? Can you replace them?" Kabuto suddenly lunged at him out of the darkness, holding a real scalpel in his right hand, and a chakra scalpel in his left. He swung at Naruto who parried with Kitsune and smirked.

"Gotcha."

A Shadow Clone suddenly flicked the switch of the laboratory, and the overhead lights flooded the room with a bright shine. Kabuto found himself surrounded by ten clones, who charged at him. But when they reached him, he suddenly substituted for one of them and then immediately finished them off, scoring a cut on the real Naruto's cheek as well. The doctor said, "You didn't really expect me to fall for that, did you?"

Naruto grinned and pointed at the liquid leaking from one of the tubes. Kabuto roared in dismay and charged towards the knucklehead again. He aimed his scalpel at Naruto, who easily batted it away, and then tapped his Kitsune into Kabuto's right shoulder. The Sound village leader's arm jerked wildly, as he lost the physical scalpel that he had been using. He hopped back and said, "The Ranshinsho, huh. I see that the old witch has been teaching you her tricks."

Naruto said, "Actually, I got Sakura to teach it to me." Kabuto smirked, "Too bad I have a counter for that now." He flexed his arm, and it went back to normal. He continued, "And that bat is not here to save you now." He quickly extracted three scalpels and threw them at Naruto, who knocked away the projectiles, but Kabuto had darted in till then and left two long cuts on his arm. Kabuto stepped back and Naruto looked down at his arm in confusion.

Kabuto said, "Noticed, have you? My improved technique slows down the healing in any wound that I make. Normally, this makes it far more lethal, but considering your powers, it will be less effective on you, although I can still use it to slow you down."

Naruto simply sent a sliver of chakra into Kitsune. The fox eyes on the weapon suddenly glowed green, and Naruto's toy transformed into the wind sword. He charged at the traitor, slashing at Kabuto. The doctor tried to intercept the attack with his scalpels but the wind sword cut right through them and Kabuto was forced to dive away in order to avoid being disemboweled.

Kabuto formed another chakra blade in his right hand and stabbed at Naruto's crotch. With a look of utter terror, the teen jumped backwards into the air and landed, only to find his legs being swept by Kabuto. The traitor landed on top of Naruto, stabbing at his neck. But before he could connect, Naruto quickly brought up his left hand to intercept, and Kabuto smirked, thinking that he would be able to cut open the boy's hand. But at the last moment…

"RASENGAN!" Naruto yelled and the Rasengan which had formed in his left hand was brought up straight into Kabuto's right hand. With utmost amazement, Kabuto stopped his attack and jumped behind, but was too slow to completely dodge he attack. His fingers were slightly eroded by the Fourth Hokage's jutsu. He hopped back and activated a healing jutsu to grow them back.

Kabuto thought, 'The boy has mastered that technique quite a lot from the last time we met. To think that he could form the jutsu so fast and with one hand only…' He quickly went behind a table and extracted a dozen surgical knives. He threw six of them at Naruto as a distraction and his three of them inside his right hand sleeve, lacing them with fire, earth and lightning chakra. Naruto hopped over the table, aiming Kitsune at the doctor's head. Kabuto blocked it with his earth scalpel, and as he hoped, it was able to stop the wind sword, although momentarily. Naruto went forward with his attack, trying to force the Rasengan through Kabuto's head, but Kabuto turned his attack into the wall behind them. The Rasengan shattered the wall, but also unraveled the jutsu. Kabuto slipped past Kitsune as Naruto turned, and aimed his chakra scalpels at Naruto's heart.

Suddenly, a shadow clone of Naruto appeared without a word and took the scalpels, while Kabuto stared at the original in shock. But he decided that this was not the time to think about it, and went on with his attack. His aim was extremely precise, and Naruto could barely counter attack, because he was being driven to the wall with each attack. He was also not being able to close his wounds inflicted by Kabuto's scalpels quickly, making him even more angry.

When Naruto's back hit the stone wall, he suddenly felt the Nine Tails rile up. The Kyuubi asked him ferociously, "**What the hell are you doing, brat?**" Naruto shouted back, irritation getting the better of him, "Shut up you stupid fox, I'm trying to concentrate here!"

"**Ha! I doubt that, considering you're the one against the wall!**" the fox shouted, "**If you tapped into my power, you could make short work of that guy.**"

"Don't overestimate yourself, you stupid fur-ball!" Naruto countered, saying, "I don't want to kill him yet anyway. I need him to tell me where Sasuke is."

The fox simply said, "**That is if he knows where that red eyed brat is. And I doubt he would tell you either way.**"

"ENOUGH!" Naruto roared at both of his opponents, and suddenly a single tail of red chakra lashed out from behind him. Kabuto looked to see Naruto's eyes turn red. All of Naruto's cuts which were slowly healing, repaired themselves in an instant. Kitsune suddenly transformed into the red serrated blade, and Naruto's next swing was twice as fast and stronger. Kabuto ducked underneath it, but was kicked in the stomach by Naruto. He allowed himself to fall behind, thinking of what to do next. He signed, "Ninja Art Summoning!"

A huge python suddenly appeared in front of him, but Naruto simply beheaded the python in one slice and continued to attack Kabuto. Kabuto was forced to block with his scalpels, and they broke underneath the force that Naruto had applied. He tried to aim a kick at Naruto's face, but the teen was quicker, and brought down his sword at Kabuto's neck. With no other option left, Kabuto blocked the weapon with his left forearm.

Naruto looked down, confused that Kabuto's arm had not been severed. He took a step back and observed Kabuto's left arm. He was shocked to find that it was not skin, but rather a mass of bone, which was hiding under Kabuto's left sleeve.

Kabuto said darkly, "Looks like you finally got to see it, after all."


	23. Chapter 23: The Sound Is Liberated

**Chapter 23: The Sound Is Liberated**

Kabuto's left hand was longer and paler than his right hand. But at random spots across his hand, some weird lumps of different colored flesh had been attached to his skin. Kabuto extended his hand and aimed his fingers at Naruto, proclaiming, "Digital Shrapnel." Five bullets of bone shot out from each of his fingers. Naruto dodged three of them and knocked the fourth one out with Kitsune. But the fifth one struck him on his left bicep.

The knucklehead stared at Kabuto's hand while his bicep repaired. He said, "That technique… Lee and Gaara had told me about it. What was that guy's name who used it? Kumi…muru, or something, right?"

Kabuto growled, "Kimimaro, you idiot," annoyed that his huge accomplishment was intercepted by Naruto's notoriously poor memory. "I must admit, however, that the idea came from your precious sensei. After all, if a simple eye transplant could give Kakashi Hatake the Sharingan, why couldn't I obtain Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai in a similar manner?"

Naruto scratched his head, totally confused, "So you got bone powers from an eye transplant?"

Kabuto snarled, and opened his mouth, but then sighed. Rather than explain, he decided to win the fight while he could. He grew a huge sword made of bone from his left hand and charged at Naruto. Naruto brought up his red sword to intercept, but a hole opened up inside the bone sword and caught Kitsune. Kabuto managed to twist the staff blade out of Naruto's hand and followed up with an attempt to behead him. Naruto hopped back.

He said, "So you attached a dead man's arm to your body, did you? But what's with those weird bumps?" He struggled to keep the fox at bay.

The Sound leader smirked and said, "All you need to know that they are for enhancement of power and control." Inside Naruto's psyche, the Kyuubi pointed, and Naruto turned to face the green cylinders. He saw that they were all missing left arms. Naruto said, "You used those arms, didn't you? You're adding their powers to that bone guy's arm. But why do you need to hide it then?"

Kabuto simply waved it in front of him and said, "It is temporary. Soon the integration will be complete and it will look normal." The teen grinned wickedly at that, "So it is not complete yet?"

Kabuto shook his head, saying, "It's not like that. It's like your Kitsune. It can work as a wind sword also, and a staff blade also. But under normal circumstances, it looks like a normal staff blade. Once the integration is complete, my hand will look normal, but it is already complete. It just needs time to change cosmetically."

Naruto nodded, and said, "So even though it looks messed up, it works fine."

Kabuto agreed, "Precisely. And in a few weeks, it will also look proper."

Naruto darted forward, saying, "You ain't got that long." His chakra tail extended and wrapped Kabuto's left arm. He started punching at Kabuto, who extended his bones from his left arm to block the attacks, and also stuck one of them into Naruto's right side, pushing him back, and making him grunt in pain.

Kabuto wrenched his arm free of the chakra tail and created a large axe blade from his arm. He slashes at Naruto and the fox tail intercepted the attack, just as he expected. He put more power into the attack, and the blade cut straight through the red energy of the fox, cutting a gash in Naruto's chest. He continued the attack, and Naruto let the Kyuubi again block the attack, but the next time the axe broke through, he was waiting for it with his Rasengan. However, the Rasengan failed to break through the axe, and Kabuto smirked. Naruto jumped back, trying to shake feeling back into his arm, which had numbed from striking the bone.

Kabuto closed the gap between them, attempting to strike again, but this time, Naruto moved much faster than before, and Kabuto's eyes went wide as he saw a second tail emerge from Naruto's chakra cloak. Naruto punched quickly, and Kabuto tried to block it with his right arm, but was prevented from fully deflecting the attack due to the Nine Tails cloak. Naruto's fists were now wrapped with the fire chakra of the fox, and he scorched Kabuto's right arm, forcing Kabuto to fall back. Kabuto again went for an axe attack, and almost smirked when the two tails moved to intercept it. He prepared to pour his power into the attack, but at the last moment, the tails caught the bony axe between them and held them fast. As Kabuto tried to break through, the tails began to bend, and to the doctor's horror, the bony axe began to break. He quickly pulled back all the bone that he could into his left arm, and managed to kick at Naruto, forcing him to let go.

Naruto growled, "Is that all you've got?"

Kabuto replied, shaking his head, "Not yet. But you are pushing me further than I thought."

A second blade came up from Kabuto's arm, this time a bone scalpel. He aimed it at Naruto and the scalpel went right through the chakra tails, reaching perilously close to Naruto's neck. However, at the last moment, the Kyuubi jerked the boy's head backwards, so that Kabuto's attack opened another gash on his chest, which bled freely. The Genin caught the scalpel with his hand, and tried to wrench it free from Kabuto's grasp. Instead, Kabuto brought his weapon back and cut deep into Naruto's palm.

Kabuto continued his attacks precisely and Naruto was forced to admit that even though he had been using two tails, Kabuto matched him with his new powers. The Genin could not keep him at bay and quickly took another dozen cuts to his body. He fought off Kabuto, trying to think of a new strategy.

The Nine Tails prodded, "**Take more of my chakra.**" But Naruto ignored him, knowing full well that he couldn't control more than three tails of chakra in his best shape. Using three now would be like inviting the Kyuubi to take control of his body. He looked around, searching for the Kitsune, not wanting to show Kabuto that he could summon the staff blade until he had no choice.

The blonde thought, 'I have to figure out something soon, or else I'll bleed out before…' Then a bulb lit inside his head and he thought, 'That's it! Blood! But I don't want to show him the technique. Gah, what should I do?'

Kabuto mocked, "Getting lightheaded, are you?"

Naruto growled back, his decision made, "I'm going to make you sorry that you kept me from healing." He leapt back outside Kabuto's range, and quickly signed thrice, intoning, "Hidden Arts: Blood Clone Jutsu!"

The blood which had been seeping from his injuries joined with the blood already on the floor and started swirling in front of him. Kabuto tried to stab through the cloud of blood, but his attack was suddenly stopped as a clone of Naruto emerge through the cloud, and held his arm tight. The remaining blood formed two clones, who were already launching twin snap kicks at the doctor. The attack hit, sending Kabuto reeling behind. He maintained his posture somehow, and sent off another Digital Shrapnel at one of the clones. He was fascinated when he saw the clone grimace but not explode.

Kabuto retreated to a table to give his head some time to clear from the twin snap kicks. The four Narutos regrouped. The original took advantage by activating a minor jutsu that Jiraiya had taught him, which accelerated healing of his body. He could almost feel his jutsu warring with Kabuto's medical art, but between his enormous chakra and regeneration, he was able to stop the bleeding.

Kabuto grimaced as he saw the injuries he had inflicted begin to fade. Determined not to let Naruto recover too much, he jumped and tried to attack again. But before he could reach, the doctor found himself under attack from all sides.

One of the clones caught Kabuto's right hand with both hands and tails, holding them steady so that the other clone could box Kabuto in the ears. The third clone aimed a Rasengan at his opponent's crotch and the real Naruto fired Cyclone Spikes at Kabuto.

Kabuto avoided the Rasengan by jumping up slightly, just enough for the clone to pass right behind him, while taking the Cyclone Spikes on his left arm. He kicked the clone below him down and stood on top of him. Then the doctor created some more bony bullets and shot them at the clone holding his right hand, while head butting the clone who had boxed his ears.

All the clones grimaced, but still did not explode. However, this gave Kabuto time to retreat. The scientist commented, "These are quite stronger than your Shadow Clones."

Naruto smirked, "My Blood Clones are almost as strong as the original!"

Kabuto replied dryly, "No one likes a braggart."

The doctor created to more giant bone scalpels, even as two clones fired off twin punched at his face. He easily swept them away with his scalpels, but the two of them retreated with only minor cuts, clearing the way for the other two versions of the blonde. The real attack was the Giant Rasengan held by the original and one Blood Clone. They charged, thrusting the four foot sphere at Kabuto's chest. The traitor brought his scalpels up to intercept the chakra orb. After a few seconds of effort, the Rasengan burst apart, forcing all of them away from each other. Kabuto righted himself up, dismayed to see that his scalpels had been completely destroyed, up to the handles.

The four blondes looked at him with fierce determination, but Kabuto sighed and said, "So, it finally came to this."

He reached into a pouch on his belt, and pulled out two capsules, each the size of a bullet. He swallowed them both, and grunted in obvious discomfort. All the Narutos looked at him with confusion and he explained, "Calcium pills. Like plasma pills restore blood, these restore bone density. Except that mine are five times more concentrated and I can put the pills to even better use."

He signed quickly and said, "Hidden Arts: Bone Armor Jutsu." Suddenly, a layer of white bone engulfed his entire left arm. But it didn't stop there. The covering spread across his entire body. Soon, Kabuto looked like he had been made of bone rather than flesh and skin. Only his head remained uncovered.

Two of the clones rapidly charged at him, pummeling the doctor in the chest. Kabuto did not even move, nor did he betray any feeling that he was being affected by their punches. Finally, he flicked them away and a third clone came up, pressing a Rasengan into Kabuto's chest. Kabuto stood his ground, and the Rasengan failed to pierce the armor. Kabuto tossed the third clone into the others.

Naruto was getting annoyed now. "So, he's created an armor. Well, all that weight must slow him down. We'll just have to aim for his head and then get away quickly." The others nodded in assent, one of them nodding slightly later. Naruto frowned at that, but decided to probe there later. They started to move, but suddenly, Kabuto disappeared from in front of them, and reappeared behind them.

Kabuto smirked, "My mind controls these bones. So this armor actually increases my strength and speed."

He attacked again, and the blondes realized that even with all of them working together, they could not keep him at bay. Naruto was getting desperate and thought, 'There's gotta be something that will work!'

Kabuto smirked again, "Getting tired?"

Naruto suddenly channeled his lightning chakra into the Kitsune, which he had picked up a couple of minutes back. The lightning whip extended from the staff blade and Kabuto eyed the weapon warily.

Naruto swung the whip at Kabuto, who did not move, testing whether he could get hurt by it. The whip hit him on the chest, but nothing seemed to happen. He grinned and Naruto released the lightning whip, preserving his chakra. Then he thought, 'Wait, there's that technique. But Grandma did tell me not to use it again. But I've improved since then and I don't have anything else either. Well…'

He looked up at Kabuto and all his clones came back. Naruto snarled, "Alright pal, this is my last technique. My ultimate one. Beat this and you win."

Kabuto gestured confidently and indicated that the boy should continue. Naruto raised his right hand and formed a Rasengan. Kabuto raised an eyebrow. But one of the clones extended his arms, and the Rasengan became bigger, taking on a green hue as it did. Tiny cuts began to appear on the boy's hand, as the Rasengan began to spin faster and faster. It flattened into a disc and turned silver in color. Blood sprayed the floor and his sleeve, as longer gashes opened in his forearms. The edges of the disc split, and it took on the shape of an oversized windmill shuriken.

"WIND STYLE: RASENSHURIKEN!" Naruto roared and brought his arm forward, firing the star straight at Kabuto's left arm. The doctor lazily lifted his hand up to catch the disc.

Without even a slight delay, the Rasenshuriken carved right through the left forearm of Kabuto, destroying his hand down to a molecular level. His eyes wide, Kabuto suddenly flung to the right to dodge the disc, but he was too slow. The disc severed his entire left arm, up to his shoulder. It also claimed a bit of his left ear.

No longer connected to his left arm, Kabuto felt the bone around his body starting to crack and fall. Kabuto staggered away from Naruto, desperately trying to staunch the blood which was flowing freely from the socket of his missing left hand. Against his will, he trembled with fright as the clones bore down on him, and Naruto, whose gashes were closing, said, "Give it up now. It's all over. But, if you tell me where Sasuke is, I can arrange for you to have a trial in the Leaf village, instead of turning you over to the True Sound. I imagine they aren't too happy with you right now."

Kabuto snorted despite his pain, "Well, there's a problem with that. First of all, you don't have the authority to make me an offer like that. Also, I don't know where Uchiha went. Probably off trying to kill his brother again."

Kabuto had managed to cauterize his left shoulder with fire chakra in order to stop the bleeding. But now the skin was totally charred.

He withdrew another object from his pouch and said, "Also, you **assume** you can capture me." Naruto saw a small remote in his hand. But before the blonde could react, Kabuto pressed the button. The green liquid in the cylinders suddenly turned red and burst out of the cylinders. The clone who had been moving forward trying to catch Kabuto was doused with the liquid and immediately disintegrated.

As the other three jumped back, they saw Kabuto staggering towards the other side, where he punched in a button on the wall and a secret door opened up, He half crawled through there, before throwing a flaming match onto the liquid which was now seeping all over the floor.

With only the slightest delay, the entire liquid caught fire and an inferno started spreading quickly around the room. Naruto roared, "KABUTO!" and started to go through the flames, but the clones caught him and one said, "Boss, we have to get out of here or else, we're toast!"

Reluctantly, Naruto nodded and they ran out of the door they had come in through. As they reached outside the citadel, the flames engulfed the entire building and it was slowly razed to the ground.

One of the clones asked, "Do you think he'll live?"

Naruto sighed, "Probably. He's a doctor, after all. He probably had an escape plan set up all this time."

The other clone nodded. Naruto sighed again, saying, "Anyway, guys, excellent work. I better head back now, to inform the True Sound. Release."

One of the clones immediately disappeared, turning back into a pool of blood. But the other duplicate smirked at him. Naruto clapped his hands firmly together and intoned, "RELEASE!" much more firmly. But the clone lifted its head, grinning at him with its eyes glowing like blood.

**"****That's not going to work, brat.**"

**Author's Note: **Hey, what's up guys, I wanted to tell you something. Yes, I have taken parts of my story from other stories, and I've already obtained permissions from all of them. So, if you feel that I'm stealing stuff, I'm not. I wasn't going to post this, but one guy opened my eyes and told me that I could get banned if someone reported me, so I had to post it. Thanks to BlueGlass54 for pointing it to me. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I'll talk to you guys later. Oh yeah, Happy Reading!


	24. Chapter 24: The Nine Tails, Free?

Author's Note: Hey guys, here's another chapter for you today. Tried to make it a little interesting, hope you enjoy. The ending, I wrote when I was really sleepy, so when I myself read it, I was like, "LOL, WUT?!" But I decided to put it out anyway. A big shout out to loganhunter2, who really took an interest in reviewing every chapter he read so far, thanks a lot bro! Anyway, without further ado, here's your next chapter, and Happy Reading!

**Chapter 24: The Nine Tails, Free?**

Naruto stared at the clone in shock and amazement. "What the hell? Get out of there, you damn fox."

The Kyuubi said mockingly, "**I don't think so, kid. For the first time in almost sixteen years, I have a body again. A small one compared to mine of course, but it'll work.**"

Naruto steadied himself and glared at the fox, "How did you take control of that clone?" The fox barked in laughter and said, "**I had control of it the instant you created it. You see, your blood, when mixed with my chakra, also takes on my will, which is the reason I could control it. If it had been a Shadow Clone, I definitely would not have been able to control it. And it was easier, what with you borrowing so much of my power.**"

Naruto was confused again. "So that means you fought Kabuto with me, didn't you?" The fox replied, its voice bored, "**I couldn't let you die, of course. If you die, I die. Besides, I was hoping to kill him myself actually. It's been a while since I've killed someone.**"

Naruto looked at the fox/clone pointedly and said, "So what now? You can't maintain possession for that forever. The longest I've ever maintained a Blood Clone is around an hour and a half."

The fox growled, "**I know. I was there.**" Then in a softer voice, he said, "**I'm always there.**"

Then the fox's eyes brightened and he said, "**But there's plenty I can do here in an hour. There are so many of your friends here. Kakashi, Iruka, Shizune, and of course Sakura and Ino.**"

Naruto growled, "If you want a fight, I'll give you one."

Kyuubi shook his head, saying, "**You and I are linked together. If I hurt you, I'm hurt too. It has to be someone else.**" Naruto growled, "You'll have to get through me first." The Kyuubi laughed and replied, "**In your current position, that's hardly a challenge. Stone Jacket Jutsu.**" Without any warning, a jacket of stone covered Naruto up to his head.

The Kyuubi smiled, "**Later, brat.**" And with that, the fox turned and ran to the medical camp.

Gai's team were having a tough time with their opponent. Tenten was trying her hardest to distract the Sound shinobi, which was difficult, since he had eight eyes. Just as they were regrouping, an orange blur struck the Sound ninja, beheading him in one fluid motion. Though Tenten was facing that way, she could not make out who it was, before she saw the Sound ninja falling to the ground. Tenten recognized Naruto, who was standing, staring at her.

Gai dispatched the last of the enemies and walked over to Tenten, when suddenly Naruto vanished from in front of the weapons master. Hinata walked over and said, "That was Naruto, wasn't it?" Tenten nodded, shuddering at how cold Naruto's eyes had looked.

She said, "Naruto was acting rather strange just now." Hinata frowned at that and Tenten elaborated, "Stranger than usual."

Naruto tried to break through the stone jacket, but it was too strong. He generated a Rasengan and it broke through the stone around his arm. He managed to extend it a little and his entire right arm broke free of the stone. He slowly began to grind away the stone away from the rest of his body. As he finished, he sniffed the air, finding his own scent heading towards their camp. He headed south, ignoring the other fights around him, doggedly pursuing the Nine Tails.

"Naruto!" Tenten called out.

He slowed down as she trotted towards him. She said, "Thanks for saving me earlier. But weren't you heading for the camp?" Naruto brightened and said, "Oh, I was? Thanks, Tenten!" He sped up, leaving the confused Kunoichi behind. "You're... welcome?" she said.

As Naruto reached towards the camp, he found the trail heading to the left, into the forest. He stood there, confused, 'Why would the fox head to the forest? Unless someone close to me is over there!' He ran into the forest, and was even more confused when the path started ascending. He finally came out onto a cliff and saw the clone/fox sitting there at the edge of the cliff.

As he approached the cliff cautiously, the clone looked behind and smiled. He said, "What are you playing at, Kyuubi?" The clone said, "**Come and sit with me. I just realized, even before the bastard Fourth Hokage sealed me in you, it had been some time since I had seen such a wonderful sunset.**"

Naruto still looked at her, suspiciously, and said, "What did you do?" The clone pulled him down and made him sit, before saying, "**Nothing, I swear.**"

Naruto was even more confused now. "But I thought you wanted to kill someone, didn't you?"

The Kyuubi nodded and said, "**Oh, I do. I do so much. But without my soul, my chakra does not regenerate, so the faster I burn it up, the lesser time I have in this world. So I decided that rather than fighting and killing someone, I could come out here and enjoy the breeze on my fur.**"

Naruto said, "But you're a demon, the ultimate evil made flesh."

Kyuubi looked at him and said, "**Time for a lesson, Naruto. There is no such thing is ultimate evil. I'm evil and I'm proud of it. I don't try to convince myself that what I'm doing is right for a reason. I kill for fun. When I'm not indulging in murder, I like to transform into a sexy girl and seduce men. You picked up the Sexy Jutsu form me, you know, even though I have no idea how. I also like to watch the sunset, and the slow appearance of the stars.**"

Naruto blushed slightly, but said, "You destroyed the Hidden Lakes Village, and would have done the same with the Hidden Leaf." The Kyuubi growled at that and said, "**I have never touched a Hidden Village of my own free will. There are techniques such as the Mangekyo Sharingan which can compel me. I am still not happy that I was forced to destroy the Lakes village. I sometimes am thankful that the Fourth Hokage sealed me, to stop me from doing the same to your village. Sometimes.**"

Naruto said sarcastically, "Maybe you're just going soft. You did save Tenten."

The Kyuubi said, "**I killed an opponent. I considered taking the panda haired girl, but she isn't close enough to you anyway. And she is sleeping with your buddy, Neji, after all.**"

Naruto turned bright red again and said, "What? Neji and Tenten are…"

The Kyuubi said, "**Grow up, will you? Anyway, that Byakugan girl and that doofus with the weird hairstyle were there too, and I couldn't get in a fight with all of them. So I decided that it was not worth it.**"

Naruto said, "So what now?" The Kyuubi said, "**Let's just watch the sunset together.**"

As the sun gradually went behind a cloud, the fox suddenly jammed a kunai into Naruto's hand. Naruto roared in pain. The fox said fiercely, "**I will break that seal one day, Naruto. So be ready until then.**" The clone which the fox had been manipulating disappeared in a pool of blood, and Naruto pulled out the kunai from his hand, grunting in pain. He suddenly felt a weight in his stomach, which he hadn't noticed was gone.

"Naruto!" Ino shouted as she saw the orange clad boy walking slowly towards them. He looked in fine shape except that his right hand was bleeding. He wondered if it was the Kyuubi's revenge, keeping the wound open. Ino rushed towards him and hugged him. Then she began to heal his wounds.

Sakura also walked over to him and aided Ino. As they healed him, he suddenly fell over in exhaustion. They both supported him up and half carried him to a tent at their camp. Ino said, "What happened, Naruto?" Sakura said, "He went off to fight off Kabuto by himself." Ino gasped and said, "How could you, baka?"

Sakura moved over to his right side, healing his arm. "You look like hell, Naruto." He grinned and said, "I've had worse." Then he said, "What happened to Gaara?" The pink haired kunoichi said, "He'll live. What about Kabuto?"

The blonde began telling them of his fight.

Kabuto staggered through the woods, wondering why he continued, having to take plasma pills every ten minutes in order to stay alive. The pain was so great that he could barely move. But more than that, his specimens, his lab, his data was all gone.

A soft and slithery voice came out from his right, "You tried to take my place, Kabuto. But you failed."

"Lord Orochimaru?" Kabuto said out loud. He wondered whether he was dying and being called into the next world.

The hissing voice said, "I am not done with you yet." Kabuto peered intently at the source of his voice and saw it. The two red eyes, with three tomoe and a slit in the middle of them.

"Come, we have pressing matters to attend to. We will head back and take the village some other time." Kabuto followed slowly, smirking at the sight of his former master.

Meanwhile, Naruto had completely healed, now that the fox was providing its regeneration to him again. He went into his psyche and said, "Hey, Kyuubi. I want to ask you something."

The fox stared at him and said, "**Go away, kid. I have nothing to say to you.**"

Naruto pressed on, "When you said that there is no such thing as ultimate evil, what did you really mean?" The Kyuubi turned towards him and said, "**I thought I made myself clear when I explained up there at the cliff.**"

Naruto shook his head and the Kyuubi sighed. It said, "**Well, let's take that Uchiha brat as an example.**" Naruto frowned, but the fox continued, "**He was not evil from the moment he was born. He was made evil due to circumstances. He was turned into evil by the treacherous actions of his brother. He would not have been this way right now, if he had had his parents with him, his entire clan with him, living a life of happiness.**"

Naruto nodded, and the Kyuubi said, "**Look at your friend Gaara, too. He may have appeared like a crazed killer to you first, but you managed to talk him out of it, and look at where he is now. The leader of his village, one of the most respected men in the world. He would not have changed if he was absolutely evil.**"

Naruto pondered over that and then said, "I guess you're right. And what about you, then? What is your reason for being evil? I don't think you've lost someone close to you or anything like that."

The Kyuubi simply said, "**I told you already, I'm evil for fun. I find joy in ripping people apart, and was created in order to do so. You see, the Bijuu are not just monsters. We are also made in this world to keep a balance on the planet. Unless we did, you humans would come far too close to being ultimate evil than us. We keep the balance of power on this world in check, by subduing you humans whenever you act up too much. But now you puny people, who should worship us, seal us in rings and in your own pesky bodies. It makes us so mad, that we long to tear out and kill all of you. But of course, we cannot do that either.**"

Naruto said, "Well, then. It seems as though you yourself are confused about what you can do or not do." The Kyuubi said, "**We are an ancient species, and have appeared in this world much before you. So don't go smart mouthing me. Now get lost, before I get mad again.**"

Naruto exited the psyche and saw Sakura sitting in front of him. He said, "What happened, Sakura?" She said, "You were talking to the Nine Tails, weren't you?" He nodded and she said, "Would you be able to take me into your psyche with you? I want to talk to the demon myself."

Naruto stared at her in amazement and then replied, "He's not in the mood to talk right now, and even if he was, how could I take you into my psyche?" Sakura said, "It's not that hard. Once our chakra is connected, we can feel each other's presence in our minds. That way, if your mind is in your psyche, I can go there too."

Naruto shrugged and said, "In any case, I can't do it right now. I'm exhausted too, and the fox is busy pouting. Maybe some other time." Sakura nodded and left the tent, and Ino came in. She said gently, "Why do you always go overboard?" He grinned sheepishly and said, "I had to, or Kabuto would have defeated me." She said, "Is he really that strong now?"

Naruto nodded and she said, "I had heard that you weren't allowed to use the Rasenshuriken because it hurts your chakra network. Lady Tsunade told me about it in case you ever tried it in front of me. Why did you do it? You could have gotten seriously injured!" He replied, "My chakra control is way better than the last time I used it. Also, this time, except for the few gashes on my arms, nothing has happened to my chakra network. See for yourself and you'll know." She bonked him lightly on the head and said, "Don't you teach me about what to do. I already checked those wounds."

Then she said, "I never thought you would do that again, Naruto. Please take care of yourself, I can't let you die." He said, "Don't worry, I don't plan on dying anytime soon." He leaned in to kiss her and the Kyuubi growled in annoyance.

"Shut it, Kyuubi," Naruto said, as his lips connected with Ino's. They shared a long kiss, and when they broke apart, Naruto beamed in excitement. "Ino, I almost forgot because of the recent events! I completed your jutsu!" Ino looked at him, confused, "My jutsu?"

He said, "Yeah, the one where I have a Rasengan on each of my fingers." She said, "I just gave you that idea to practice your chakra control, Naruto." He said, "Yeah, but it's still pretty awesome. I'll show it to you when we get back." She smiled and said, "Yeah, but you're gonna have to rest for a while till then."

Sometime later, Kakashi entered the tent and said, "Naruto, I don't suppose you've seen Konohamaru anywhere, have you?" Naruto shook his head and said, "I thought he was with you, sensei."

Kakashi said, "My team was fighting one of the targets, and after we took them down, I suddenly noticed that he was gone. I don't know where he is, I've been trying to find him for the past two hours." Naruto looked worried at that, and said, "I'll find him." Ino said, "Definitely not. You're in no shape to go anywhere." Naruto said, "Don't worry, I'll go and come back in a second." With that, he suddenly vanished. Kakashi's eyes widened.

As Konohamaru stared at his opponent, who was about to kill him, Naruto suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He caught the enemy by the hand and threw him back. Konohamaru said, "Naruto? Where did you come from?"

Naruto looked back at him in disappointment and said, "I vouched for you on this mission, Ko. Is this how you repay me? By leaving Kakashi sensei's squad and going off by yourself?"

Konohamaru looked dismayed and said, "It's not like that! This guy is one of our targets and Kakashi sensei was busy fighting another one, so I decided to tail this guy. But he noticed me and started fighting. I was not able to call in for reinforcements."

Naruto said, "All right, now who is this joker?"

Konohamaru said, "I don't know his name, but I saw his face in the pictures of the targets. That's why I went behind him in the first place." The shinobi in question stepped out from the darkness. He had long light blonde hair on the left side of his face, but the right side was cropped and had a darker shade. He had brownish eyes, but there was also a green tinge to them.

The man carried a weapon in his hand. As he stepped out further, Naruto noticed that it was a huge scythe, almost as big as the Kubukiribocho that Zabuza carried. But it had a sharp mean curve to it, and ended in a razor sharp point.

He looked at Naruto with happiness and pointed the scythe at him, saying, "I know you. You're that Leaf Jinchuuriki. I've been wanting to fight you for a long time now. I heard that you crafted quite the weapon. Let's see how it matches up with mine." Naruto helped Konohamaru to his feet and then said, "Since you know me, it is only fair that I should know you."

The Sound shinobi smiled and said, "I am Izuko, former Jonin of the Hidden Mist village. Zabuza was my half-brother." Naruto stared at him in amazement. Zabuza had a half-brother? He replied, "Well, then I hope you are at least half as strong as he was."

Izuko looked at him, annoyed, and said, "I am much stronger than him. I was slated to be the leader of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. That is, before I killed the former leader, because he did not wish to step down. Unfortunately, that didn't sit well with the Mizukage, and he had me thrown out. I found good work in this village. I am an assassin. Let's dance, shall we?"

Before Naruto could say a word, he vanished from in front of their eyes. Konohamaru looked confused, but Naruto smelt the attack coming behind him, rather than seeing it. He shouted, "Ko, duck!" The Third Hokage's grandson ducked just as the scythe swung around where his head had been a split second before. Naruto crossed the gap between them and caught the scythe's pole in his hand. He said, "You wanted to fight me, right? So why not leave him out of this?"

Zabuza's brother grinned, "I thought he would simply get in the way. So I decided to get rid of him, first." Konohamaru shuddered; the amount of killing intent that Izuko exuded was astounding. Naruto looked the assassin straight in the eye and said, "Ko will not disobey my orders. So if you leave him out of this, I promise he will not come in the way."

Izuko contemplated that and finally nodded, shrugging his shoulders. Naruto let go of his weapon and the assassin retreated a bit. Naruto called Konohamaru over and said, "Ko, make sure you don't get in the way, no matter what. Even if I'm dying, you will not step in to save me. If you do, I'll kill myself. Is that clear?" Konohamaru stared at him as though he was mad, but then saw the determination in Naruto's face and said, "Alright, bro. You got it."

Konohamaru retreated and Izuko stepped forward again. Naruto drew Kitsune and Izuko stared at it crazily for a moment before suddenly smiling and saying, "Can I have a look at that?"

Naruto almost fell through the ground and said, "What the hell are you talking about?" The assassin looked at him seriously, and said, "I love weapons. I can't bear to see such a beautifully crafted weapon going up against me, without having a chance to at least examine it first. I swear that I won't do anything to it."

Naruto pondered over the strange request for a moment, but then threw Kitsune towards the assassin. Izuko caught it and then yelled in pain, as a small hole burnt through his hand, the weapon fell to the ground, before disappearing. Naruto slapped his forehead, "Oh, shit! I forgot about the defense mechanism! Sorry about that." The assassin looked at him, obviously in pain, and said, "It is okay. I've had much worse than that. And I only need to touch a weapon to know how well it has been crafted. I must say that it is an amazingly well built toy. How did you make it so strong?"

Naruto replied, "I used steel and titanium alloy to make it, and covered it with a gold plating to ensure it doesn't rust. And I used the Weapon Forge Jutsu to make it."

Izuko stared at him in amazement, and then said, "You know the Weapon Forge Jutsu?" Naruto nodded proudly, and Izuko said, "I am honored to meet someone who knows that technique. I have been searching for the jutsu for many years now, but never found anyone who was capable of using it."

Naruto just stared at him; this guy was an assassin? Izuko said, "However, I guess I've spoken a lot. We must get on with our fight. However, I notice that your weapon has disappeared." Naruto intoned, "Weapon Summoning Jutsu." Kitsune appeared in his right hand and he said, "My weapon can never leave me."

Izuko nodded in appreciation of the boy's talent and then said, "Let's begin then." Naruto held his hand up and the assassin looked confused. Naruto said, "Why do you want to kill us?" Izuko stared at him, amazed. He said, "Because you threatened my village, after all. I consider the Sound village my village now, and anyone who threatens it must die."

Naruto said, "So you pledge your allegiance to Kabuto Yakushi, then?" Izuko said, "I pledge myself to this village. Kabuto was the one who took me in, after the other villages rejected me, not wanting a sadistic killer in their midst, who had already betrayed one village. So if he's the leader of the village, I serve him." Naruto said, "I defeated Kabuto around an hour ago."

Izuko stared at him and his scythe dropped from his hand. He just stood there, stunned. Finally, after a minute or so, he found his tongue. "You... defeated Kabuto?" Naruto nodded and the man said, "Then I must know how much strength you possess. It seems that our fight will be much more interesting than I thought."

Naruto said, "You still want to fight us, even though your master is beaten?" The man said, "I said just now, I pledged my allegiance to this village, not to Kabuto. I couldn't care less what happens to him, as long as this village survives." Naruto stared at him stupefied, and said, "Then why didn't you join the True Sound? Why stay with the Sound village."

Izuko scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Truth be told, I was gonna join the True Sound village as soon as this battle was over. I knew that there would be strong ninjas in the Leaf and Sand village so I wanted to fight them to assess my own battle skill. I must say that after fighting this runt, I was disappointed."

Naruto and Konohamaru's mouths fell open at that, and Konohamaru said, "I'm just a Genin, mate. If you want a real fight, bro can give you one." Izuko nodded and said, "I'm going to join the True Sound now, anyway. So why don't we have a fight just to see how our powers compare?"

Naruto grinned, "I'm never one to back down from a fight. Bring it on."

Izuko said, "Hey, Genin kid. Ko, was it? Call out the fight."

Konohamaru said, "Begin!" and both the blondes rushed towards each other. Naruto started out defensive, knowing that he still needed some time to recuperate, and Izuko charged on the offensive. He aimed a punch at Naruto's stomach, who deflected his arm with Kitsune, and put in a jab of his own. Izuko retreated and said, "One moment. I forgot my weapon." He retrieved his scythe and began charging at Naruto again. The blonde man moved faster than Naruto would have imagined, and the knucklehead realized why he was an assassin. All the blows that he had blocked or dodged were aimed at extremely fatal points of his body.

Naruto dodged an overhand strike of Izuko and tapped him on the shoulder with Kitsune. He waited for a moment and as he thought, Izuko's left shoulder flailed. The blonde assassin frowned and looked down at his arm. He couldn't feel it move according to his wishes. He looked up at Naruto and asked, "What did you do?"

Naruto said, "I used a jutsu developed by the Fifth Hokage, on you. It short circuits your nervous system, making you lose control of your body. If I had managed to hit your spinal cord, you would be on the ground right now."

Izuko waited for a moment, and then said, "Ah, I see. Ingenious. When I try to move my left arm, my right leg is moving. Very effective. But now that I know this, I can move again. Let's continue."

Naruto thought, 'So I can indeed use the Kitsune as a conductor for the Ranshinsho. Not bad, it increases my reach as well. But I shouldn't have done it. After all, we're having a friendly fight, so I need to make sure I don't do that again.'

Izuko read his mind and said, "Please don't stop using attacks just because we are not fighting seriously. I am going to fight with my full strength, so don't hold back against me. Give it your all."

Naruto nodded, and they both resumed their fight. Konohamaru stared in awe, as he could barely make out the flurry of combat that his bro and the Sound ninja were engaged in. 'Wow! Bro is really as strong as a Jonin! He's so fast!"

The fight went on for nearly an hour, before both the shinobi came to a stop, panting a little. Naruto straightened up and helped Izuko up as well. The assassin looked at him in surprise and said, "How are you so strong? You're much younger than I am."

Naruto quoted some words which Kakashi had said to him, "In the shinobi world, there are some who are younger than Ko here, but are stronger than me." Izuko nodded and shook his hand. After performing the Seal of Reconciliation, he said, "It's been an honor, Naruto Uzumaki. I hope that we can have another fight one day. I vow that I will not stop training and I will try my best to surpass you."

Naruto smiled and said, "I'll look forward to that. Now, Ko, we must get going. Kakashi sensei was going nuts over the fact that you were missing. Later, Izuko."

Izuko said, "I'll come with you. After all, our paths are towards the village anyway. And I doubt that the True Sound will take me in immediately. So, I could use your help a bit." Naruto nodded and the three of them walked back to the village. When they reached the True Sound shinobi, all of them blanched at the sight of Izuko. They looked from him to Naruto and their expressions changed to that of amazement and confusion. Naruto said, "I fought Izuko just now. He told me that he never swore allegiance to Kabuto, and always wanted the best for the village. Take him in, he will help you guys out a lot." The True Sound shinobi nodded, still regarding the assassin with suspicion and a little fear. But Zabuza's brother smiled at them and said, "Despite what it looks like, I am not really that bad. My crazy attitude is all an act to make my enemies intimidated. It might have been the reason that the council of the Mist village was not happy about me being the leader of the Seven Swordsmen. But I swear my allegiance to this village and will do whatever it takes to serve it with my life."

He knelt down on one knee and Shin walked up to him, placing his hand on the assassin's shoulder. Izuko looked up to see Shin holding a headband in his hand. He tore off his old headband and replaced it with the one Shin gave him. Everyone relaxed and Naruto said, "Well, that's that dealt with. Later guys, we gotta head back to camp." Everyone waved him goodbye and the two knuckleheads went back to where Kakashi was waiting nervously.

Kakashi jumped onto Konohamaru and sat on top of him as soon as they reached back. "WHERE WERE YOU, BAKA?" he roared at the top of his voice.

Konohamaru blanched; he had never seen Kakashi this angry before. He said, "You guys were busy fighting a target, I spotted another one, so I went to tail him. Unfortunately, he found me and engaged me before I could call in for reinforcements." Kakashi said, "YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE WANDERED OFF LIKE THAT! WHAT WOULD I HAVE SAID TO THE HOKAGE IF SOMETHING WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU!"

Suddenly everyone understood why Kakashi was raging like that, and they stifled their laughter. Konohamaru didn't realize that and spoke up, "Aren't these the choices that a Chunin would make? I thought that part of being a ninja was taking risks, right?"

Kakashi froze, and got up. Konohamaru got up too, dusting himself and said, "And what's got into you, geez! As if anyone here is going to report you because I went off!" Kakashi said, "I am responsible for you on this mission, I could have been demoted, or even dismissed if anything happened to you! Don't ever disobey orders like that again." Konohamaru said, "I won't. I'm sorry, sensei."

Kakashi nodded. Then he gave Konohamaru his eye smile and said, "Now, that being said, I'm proud that you took the initiative and tailed that ninja. It is indeed what separates a Chunin from a Genin. Well done."

Everyone relaxed and went back to their jobs. Ino walked up to Naruto and said, "You got into a fight again, didn't you? I told you to relax!" He grinned and said, "It wasn't a serious fight. I was just testing my skills against a True Sound shinobi." He proceeded to tell her everything that had happened. She sighed, and thought, 'My boyfriend, the baka.'

Everyone headed back to the Leaf village, and the Sand ninjas split off in the way, heading back to their own village. The ninjas reached their villages and went off to their houses, except the team leaders, who reported to the Hokage. Naruto said, "Ino, I'll meet you back at home. I need to speak to Grandma Tsunade." She nodded and he headed off.

As he reached the office, he came in through the window and a kunai flung through it, barely missing his head. Tsunade looked at him and said, "What the hell are you doing, baka? You scared me for a moment! No one comes in my office like this!" He smirked and said, "Pervy Sage does, and I don't see a kunai flung when he comes in!"

She blushed momentarily before saying, "I know his chakra signature very well, so I know when he comes in. But don't ever do that again. Now, what do you want?"

Naruto said, "I'm here to report the battle. After all, I'm the one who defeated Kabuto." She nodded and said, "Let's wait for the team leaders. Then we'll hold a conference in the lower chambers." He waited for a moment and then the team leaders began coming in, either through the door, or shunshining straight in.

Naruto saw Gaara, Temari, Kakashi, Genma, Shikaku, Gai and Iruka. He frowned, 'I have to ask Iruka sensei about his team sometime. I never knew that the crazy snake woman was in his team.'

Everyone headed to the lower floors below the Ninja Ops where they had first seen Shin, and began to speak. Naruto began to get bored, but didn't do anything, because Tsunade had her eye on him the entire time. She said, "Naruto, give me your battle report. Then you may go."

He gave them a blow by blow account of what he had seen and done. Everyone's eyes widened as they heard of his Blood Clone Jutsu. Tsunade said, "Did you learn this technique at that trip too, Naruto?" He nodded and she said, "Proceed." After he finished telling them everything, she said, "Alright. Everyone present here should note that speaking about any of this, especially Naruto's jutsus, is strictly forbidden. Okay, Naruto, you may go. We have some important matters to discuss before we will retire for the night as well." Naruto left as Tsunade said, "The second phase of the exams just got over, Gaara. I must say, your Genin this year are truly remarkable. We should…"

Naruto headed back home and saw Konohamaru waiting there for him. He said, "What's the matter, Ko? And why didn't you go in?" Konohamaru said, "I wanted to say sorry to you, bro. You trusted in me and brought me on that mission, and I screwed up. Sorry."

Naruto ruffled his hair, and said, "Ha! You really think that I wouldn't do the same if I was in your place? Don't be so down, Ko! I was only mad because you didn't tell anyone that you were going. It's alright." Konohamaru brightened and said, "Thanks bro!"

"Anytime, Ko."

"See you later, bro!" Konohamaru took off and Naruto went in, sniffing at the delicious smell that had pervaded his senses. Ino smiled at him and said, "I thought we should celebrate the success of our mission by having some…"

"RAMEN! MY RAMEN! MY DELICIOUS RAMEN, HOW I'VE MISSED YOU!" Naruto roared in excitement and ran towards the hot bowl of ramen waiting on the table. Just as he was about to sit, Ino stepped in front of him and said firmly, "Wash your hands and feet before sitting to eat, Naruto-kun."

He groaned in disappointment and said, "You're a real mood killer when it comes to ramen, Ino." She simply smiled and he went to the bathroom. Once he was clean, he came back and they sat to eat. After that, the two of them simply sat on the couch together, looking out towards the window. They sighed in satisfaction.


	25. Chapter 25: Naruto's Trial

**Chapter 25: Naruto's Trial**

A week after the mission of the Sound Liberation, Naruto and Konohamaru had been called in to stand before the village elders, although they were not told why. They headed off with the ANBU who had informed them, and Naruto realized that they were headed to the stadium where his Chunin Exams finals had been held. He went inside with Konohamaru, both wearing their trademark outfits.

As they entered the stadium, Konohamaru gaped in awe. It seemed that the entire village was present at the stadium. They went to the center of the stadium and saw Tsunade, along with the three village elders, Danzo, Homura and Koharu. Gaara and his siblings were sitting next to them. Near them, in the rows behind, Naruto noticed Kakashi, Gai, Shikaku, and many other Jonin. On the left hand side were all his friends, the rookie eleven, and Konohamaru's friends. Ino looked at him sadly, and Sakura was also looking worried. He saw Moegi looking sorrowfully at Konohamaru and Udon was also looking quite serious.

Tsunade tapped the mic and the entire crowd went quiet. She said in a stern voice, "Naruto Uzumaki and Konohamaru Sarutobi, you have been summoned before the Leaf Village to answer for your questionable actions during the Sound Liberation. Naruto, you disobeyed the direct order of your mission leader, a higher ranking shinobi, and a Kage, no less. Moreover, you did this in a war, knowing the importance of the situation. Konohamaru, you disobeyed your team leader's order to stay with him and went off on your own, even though you knew that you were not qualified enough to do so. Explain your actions. Konohamaru, you may speak first."

Konohamaru put his hands in his pockets, shrugged and said, "I acted in the interest of the mission. I had a visual on an important target of the Sound village. Since my mission leader was busy in another battle with the rest of my teammates, I had to follow that target myself. I was going to contact my leader but unfortunately, the target I was following was a Jonin, and he caught sight of me, engaging in combat. I was unable to call for support, and was about to be killed when Naruto saved me. He was able to talk the target out of killing me and also persuaded said target to join the True Sound village. All in all, I think I did nothing wrong, as any ninja should consider their mission more precious than some silly order."

Tsunade said, "I see. We will come back to you later. Naruto, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Naruto nodded and said, "There isn't much to tell. Gaara was seriously wounded in the fight against Kabuto Yakushi. He tried to tell us that he wanted to fight Kabuto, but he was too injured. I told my team-mates to head back while I fought Kabuto. They protested at first but I persuaded them to listen to me and went off to fight Kabuto."

Koharu leaned forward and spoke into her mic, "What we need to know is why you disobeyed the orders of your team leader. The Kazekage does not remember saying anything after his injury."

Naruto said, "Look, I'm not Gaara. I can't tell what was going on in his head at that moment. I just did what was right for the sake of the mission. Gaara was so badly injured that if he had not received immediate medical attention, he could have died." Danzo said, "Why did you take matters in your own hands?"

Naruto said, "I've known Gaara for quite some time. In case you guys don't remember, I was the one who fought him during the attack on our village four years ago. I was the one who confided my feelings with him, and made him realize that he is not a bad person. Since then, Gaara has become very protective and caring. But it is also true that he still feels the intense desire for revenge after his father was killed by Kabuto. I sure as hell would feel mad if my father was killed by someone who was still out there, living. It's the same feeling that Sasuke has against his brother Itachi."

Everyone froze at that, but Naruto continued, "At that moment, I realized that the emotions had taken over Gaara, ya know? After all, he picked me because of my experience against Kabuto. He was injured and I was still healthy. Besides, Gaara is the Kage of one of the Five Great Nations. I'm just a Genin. A few people would mourn over my death, but imagine the turmoil that would be caused if the Kazekage died, when he needn't have."

Homura was interested by this answer and he said, "Let me ask you something. Sakura and Neji were able to evacuate Gaara to the medical camp without any trouble. If you had known about this when you took charge, would you have let someone stay back with you?"

Naruto pondered on that for a minute and then replied, "No I would not. Sakura is a medic, she was responsible for keeping Gaara alive while they made it back. And everyone knows that Neji is one of the most powerful members of his clan. His scouting abilities and Byakugan are basically what allowed them to make it through without virtually any fighting. If either one of them had not been there, they most probably would have ended up fighting someone and Gaara may have died."

Everyone considered that and Naruto said exasperatedly, "Look, I'm not going to admit that I made a mistake or something like that, all right? Neither is Konohamaru. We acted for the best of the mission and I 'm pretty sure that any other shinobi who isn't afraid of dying would have done the same. And despite my rank, I don't hold any doubts that I could easily defeat more than half of the ninjas in the Leaf village quite easily. I defeated Neji in my first Chunin exams. I know my battle prowess more than anyone else in the world, except maybe the Pervy Sage, who isn't here right now. So if you're going to demote us or decommission us or something, just get it over with."

Tsunade looked at all the other sitting next to her and they all nodded, except for Danzo. She glared at him and he waved his hand at her, irritated. Tsunade stood, shifting her stare back to the Genins.

She said, "There seems to be a slight misunderstanding, Naruto. We are here to judge you, not punish you. Everyone here knows that a good ninja is one who follows orders, but a great ninja is one who knows when orders must be stretched or disobeyed. We also know that things change in the heat of battle. A ninja must be adaptable. It takes a great deal of wisdom to see how to act as to what is needed. Until now, we were doubtful whether the two of you really had that wisdom. But your actions and defense of them have convinced us that you really have grown."

Her face turned proud.

"Therefore, it is my greatest honor, in the name of the Tribunal and with the agreement of the Kazekage, to grant the two of you the rank of Chunin, with all the privileges and responsibilities that come with them."

Naruto and Konohamaru just stood there, dumbfounded, as the entire crowd rose to their feet and cheered. Their friends swarmed towards them and Kiba patted him on the back, so hard that he almost fell over. The Tribunal stood, and Tsunade clapped, while the other elders looked on in appreciation. Danzo simply stalked out of the stadium. But Naruto still did not react.

Realizing he was surrounded, he started to look around. Someone kept shaking his hand, or hugging him, but he had eyes only for one person. And then, she was there, tears of joy running down her cheeks, and a radiant smile on her lips.

"Congratulations, Naruto." Ino said, her voice full of happiness. She blushed as he cupped her face, and then right in front of more than fifty thousand people, he kissed her. And in that instant, she was all he knew existed.

He felt her put her arms around him, pulling them together, pressing her body to him, crushing her breasts against his chest. He could smell her skin and hair, and marveled at the gentle plumpness of her lips against his. He moved his hand slightly up her back, and she shuddered in pleasure. He shifted his face, changing the angle of his kiss, so not an inch of her lovely mouth went unattended.

Finally, the need to breathe overtook them and they broke apart.

Naruto said, "I love you, Ino." She smiled, "I love you, too."

Suddenly the two of them became aware that they had kissed in front of almost the entire village. The tone of cheers had changed to catcalls and wolf whistles. The Hokage and elders pretended that they were annoyed by this sudden display, but it was obviously an act. In the entire crowd, only one face seemed sad at the display, and that was Hinata's.

But Sakura could not bear to look at her team-mate. The medical kunoichi was looking down at the floor, tears running down her sad and disappointed eyes. She turned and walked away, pushing her way through the crowd. Kakashi watched her leave with a narrowed eye.

Ino blushed deeply, having realized that they had made their relationship known to the whole village, as well as all their friends. Naruto whispered, "Let's get out of here." She nodded, and said, "Okay."

Naruto held her up in his arms and suddenly disappeared in a flash. Again, Kakashi looked at the spot where Naruto had just been, in amazement. The cheering gave way to laughter, and Naruto's friends and allies settled down.

Konohamaru was also congratulated heartily, and he and his friends went off to have a party, celebrating him becoming a Chunin. Tsunade looked at Gaara, and said, "Good for him." Gaara nodded with a tiny smile, and suddenly, Jiraiya appeared out of nowhere.

"Did I miss it?"

Tsunade glared at him, "Of course you did. You stupid fool, you're always late for everything. Where the hell were you?" Jiraiya groaned, and said, "I was so sure that I would make it in time! Why didn't you call me?"

Tsunade punched him in the head and said, "I called thirteen times, baka! Where were you that you didn't receive my calls?"

Jiraiya rubbed his head and said, "Mount Myoboku."

The finally official couple sat on top of the Fourth Hokage's head, watching the glow of the setting sun. They clung onto each other's hand tightly, Ino's head on Naruto's shoulder. Then she sighed.

Naruto looked at her in concern, "What is it, Ino?"

She told him, "I think we should get back now. Everyone will want to see you, and I don't think it's fair that I keep you all to myself. Much as I want to. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone's still waiting for you back there."

He grinned and said, "Too bad for them, they should understand that I want to spend time with my girlfriend." Ino smiled and said, "Regardless, I think four hours of making out on top of the Fourth's head is quite a lot of time." He grinned sheepishly and she said, "Besides, we should be there for the party."

His grin turned into a look of confusion and said, "Party?"

She said, "The village has the first battlefield promotion in more than a decade and you don't think there'll be a party? I wouldn't be surprised if Master Jiraiya is setting things up as we speak."

He nodded and they both got up. He said, "Hold on tight, then. I'll get us back in no time!"

The two of them reappeared next to Jiraiya, who was busy arranging for a music system. He looked at them and said, smiling, "Not a bad choice, Naruto." The knucklehead grinned and said, "Thanks. By the way, where were you, old man?" Jiraiya opened his arms wide and hugged Naruto, saying, "Congrats Naruto. I'll tell you where I was later, we need to enjoy the party now." Naruto nodded. They went back into the crowd, Naruto shaking hands with everyone enthusiastically now.

Konohamaru and his gang had come back from their little party now, and they congratulated each other. Everyone looked in awe, not having paid that much attention to their matching uniforms and the figures they cut. As Jiraiya started playing some music, everyone roared in delight and began to take to the floor.

The party lasted until midnight, when Tsunade walked over tipsily to Jiraiya and said, "Alright, that'sh quite a lot of time, Jiraiya. We should get thish over with." He nodded and said into the mic, "Unfortunately, the Hokage has her duties to attend to, and any more loud music will be illegal as it isn't allowed after midnight. So, we'll have a last song tonight and then, the party will officially be over."

Everyone groaned in disappointment and then shouted gleefully as the last song was a fast paced one, and they began to dance again for the next five minutes. Finally after the party ended, everyone went back to their houses slowly, congratulating Naruto and Konohamaru again before they went.

Ino and Naruto walked back home, and continued their kissing battle with each other. Today was the day when Naruto's inner voice didn't stop him from continuing, and they spent the night happily, forgetting about everything else except each other.

**Author's Note**: Sorry for the short chapter guys, but I've got an exam coming up tomorrow, so I'm totally screwed. Computer Engineering is not that easy, now that I think of it. So, anyway, maybe I'll write another chapter tomorrow after the exam, but it's a big maybe. I don't know. So, enjoy and Happy Reading!


	26. Chapter 26:Jiraiya's Plan, Ino's Mission

**Chapter 26: Jiraiya's Plan, Ino's Mission**

Ino woke up, and sighed in happiness. It had been a week since their public proclamation to the village. Most of their friends had been very happy for the two of them, although Ino had sensed that Hinata was sad and disappointed. She thought, 'I have to make it up to her, somehow or the other. She must see that there are other guys out there as good as Naruto is.' As she thought of her sweetheart, she suddenly gasped and looked at the calendar. 'OH NO! It's only a month from now that Naruto will have his sixteenth birthday! How could I forget such an important thing?!'

Sixteen was considered coming of age in the Land of Fire. It was a big deal for ninjas as well, because they were no longer burdened with any of the restraints of childhood. Most ninjas were mature enough at the age of twelve to thirteen itself, and so, they were only considered children because of the age factor. Once they officially turned adults, the ninjas were free to vote, to marry…

Ino blushed as she considered that. Then the birthday issue came back to her mind and she sighed. 'Naruto doesn't have parents who can throw him a party. I'll have to do whatever I can for him. I should meet Kakashi sensei; he'll know what to do. And Iruka sensei can also help me out.'

Just then, Naruto turned over in his sleep and she looked at him, but he just went on sleeping, and drooling, presumably over ramen. Ino got out of bed, still thinking of what she could do. 'I should make a list of people first. But no, unless I don't have a place to organize…'

The platinum blonde got ready and sat to have some breakfast. As she chewed her sandwich, she thought out loud, "Perhaps Teuchi-san may be willing to provide the food, but his restaurant isn't big enough. Maybe I should…"

But maybe what she would was never known because Naruto walked out of their room sleepily, asking, "Did you say something about old man Teuchi, Ino?" Ino blanched; she wanted to keep the party a secret after all. She replied quickly, "Yeah, I was wondering when I could go to Ichiraku's today, considering that I have that mission in Tanzaku Town."

Naruto stared at her and she suddenly realized, 'I didn't tell him that I was going today! What is wrong with me?' She said, "Sorry, I forgot to mention it to you, Naruto-kun. It was handed to me yesterday, and my mind control abilities are well suited for the task." Naruto nodded, and went to brush his teeth. Ino sighed in relief and continued to think. She was so engrossed in her thinking that she didn't hear the knock on the door. Naruto said loudly from the bathroom, "Get the door, Ino!"

She came out of her trance with a jump and went to the door immediately. An ANBU member stood in front of her and said, "Lady Hokage wishes to see you in ten minutes." She nodded and the ANBU member disappeared. Ino strapped on her weapon pouches and checked her outfit, while Naruto finished washing up. He came out and she said, "Tsunade-sama wants to see me. I should get going, Naruto. See you soon!" He nodded and she quickly pecked him on the cheek and left, leaving him to have his breakfast. He frowned in thought; Ino had been nervous since morning, was she hiding something from him? He thought, 'Best not to trouble her yet. If she wants to tell me, she will.' After he finished his breakfast, he went to training ground 7 and started doing his everyday exercises.

Ino reached the Ninja Ops, all the while thinking of a present that she should get him. She saw the Hokage looking out of the window. Tsunade nodded at her and the blonde shunshined into the office. Tsunade began without preamble, "Ino, that job I gave you at Tanzaku Town is being upgraded to an A-rank mission. I'm sending Choji and Shikamaru with you now, because of the sudden change in rank. It seems as though the infiltration is going to be tougher, because the guards around the mansion have more than tripled overnight. So, the three of you will need to be careful."

Ino nodded and said, "Has any parameter of the mission been changed, apart from the guards tripling?" Tsunade nodded and said, "Previously, you had only to learn of the contents of the target's mind. Now, you not only have to learn them, but also assassinate the target." Ino froze, and then said, "Surely assassination missions should be handled by the ANBU? Or at least a Jonin level ninja?"

Tsunade sighed and said, "I have no doubt they should. Unfortunately, most of the Yamanaka Jonins are off on missions now, and no one else can complete the job apart from your clan. Which is why I'm sending your team-mates with you."

Ino sighed and said, "Well, I'll do it, of course." Tsunade sensed the tension in her and asked, "Is something wrong, Ino? You look a little worried." Ino said, "It's only a month to Naruto's birthday. I feel that I should plan something for him, but with such a short amount of time, it would be impossible to manage something on the scale of a normal coming of age birthday celebration."

Tsunade said, "I see. And since Naruto has no parents, he will not understand the significance of this event. But even then Ino, I'm sure that you will be able to do something or the other for him." Ino said, "I'll be gone the entire day today. Most birthdays are planned two months earlier. How am I going to do this?"

Tsunade's heart went out to the girl but she couldn't do anything. She said, "You'll just have to come up with something. Meanwhile, forget about Naruto for a while and concentrate on your mission. Choji and Shikamaru will meet you at the gates in fifteen minutes. Get going." Ino nodded sadly and left.

Naruto finished his usual TaiJutsu set with his clones and sat on the ground, panting. He had not been focusing today, because he was concerned about Ino. As a result, he had taken some extra punches and kicks. Even the clones had sensed that something was wrong with him, but they couldn't do anything about it, or he would just dispel them anyway.

Naruto couldn't stop thinking, 'What could Ino keep from me? Did I do something wrong?' Just then, a powerful gust of wind blew across the training ground, and Naruto looked up to see his mentor standing right next to him. He smiled, "How's it goin', Pervy Sage?"

Jiraiya said, "Well, remember when you asked me why I was late to your Chunin promotion? I'm gonna tell you that today." Naruto said lazily, "I don't need to know. Most probably you were at some hot springs doing **research**."

Jiraiya's eyebrow twitched and he said, "You know, I don't spend all my time in research. I have other important businesses to attend to as well. You should be thankful that I take my time out to give you the training that you need." Naruto stared wide eyed at him and said, "You're gonna train me again?" Jiraiya shook his head and said, "Not me." He signed and said, "Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"

Lord Fukasaku suddenly appeared out of the white smoke and said, "Hello Jiraiya boy. What did you need from me?" Jiraiya said, "The thing we spoke about last week. I swear you're getting as forgetful as the old one."

Fukasaku looked at Naruto and nodded saying, "Ah, yes. Naruto boy, Jiraiya here has asked me to train you in Sage Arts." Naruto looked confused and said, "Sage Arts? What is that?" Jiraiya said, "Allow me to show you." He sat down and Lord Fukasaku jumped onto his shoulder. Jiraiya started meditating, and Naruto started getting bored. But just as he was going to ask impatiently what was going on, he notices Jiraiya's hands lengthening. Naruto freaked out and yelled, "Hey Pervy Sage! What's happening to your hands?!"

Jiraiya continued meditating and Lord Fukasaku answered instead, "Jiraiya boy is gathering nature energy. It is the energy that flows around us in the universe. However, he is not perfect at it, and so he gains some features of a toad when he uses Sage mode." Naruto continued, still freaked, "No way am I going to do this! Imagine how everyone will laugh at me if I turn into a toad halfway in a fight!"

Lord Fukasaku calmly stated, "Not everyone turns toad-like after utilizing nature energy. Some are more adept at it than others. Jiraiya boy isn't one of them, but you might be able to master it if you try." Naruto pondered on that and said, "Well, if the Pervy Sage couldn't do it, how could I?"

Fukasaku answered, "Jiraiya boy told me that you have completed the final form of the Rasengan. Something that even he could never do. So do you think this is any different?" Naruto took some time to think, and Jiraiya got up. His nose had become spotty and he had acquired a goatee as well. And his eyes had also turned into toad eyes. Jiraiya said, "Well, Naruto, it is time to show you some of the advantages of Sage Mode."

Naruto asked, "It just looks like you're halfway between a man and a toad, Pervy Sage." Jiraiya smiled and said, "Form a Rasengan."

Naruto created a Rasengan with his left hand, confused at the strange request. Jiraiya said, "Make it a little bigger, around a foot in diameter." Naruto responded and the spiraling orb in his hand became bigger. Then the pervert said, "Now attack me with it."

Naruto nearly unraveled the Rasengan in surprise, and said, "Are you insane?" Jiraiya said, "Don't worry, just do it." Naruto said, "You asked for it, old man." He dashed towards his mentor and aimed the orb straight at Jiraiya's stomach. The man waited, and as Naruto reached the point of no-return, he created a Rasengan, even bigger than Naruto's, in less than a millisecond. He thrusted it towards his student's orb, and Naruto's eyes widened, as his Rasengan was totally crushed, and he was sent flying backwards.

Naruto got up, shaking his hand, and said, "How did you do that so fast, Pervy Sage? You've never formed the Rasengan so fast before! And of that size too." Jiraiya face palmed and said, "That's my point, baka. In Sage Mode, you are much faster and stronger than you are in a normal state. That's because nature energy is much stronger than our own physical and spiritual energy."

Naruto nodded and said, "So, how strong is that? If you have any statistics?" Jiraiya scratched his head and said, "That's a tough one. But I'll tell you this; when you're in Sage Mode, you can punch enemies without touching them." Naruto stared at him incredulously, and said, "You're kidding! How can you do that?"

Jiraiya said, "Well, since you are using nature energy, you can influence your punches using the nature energy around your fist. So if you're close to your enemy, and are unable to land a punch, you can simply extend your punch with the nature energy." Naruto looked a little confused and said, "Well, I don't understand stuff like that. You'll have to show me." Jiraiya said, "No way, Frog Kumite is way too tough for you to absorb, even with your regeneration." Naruto grinned and said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Jiraiya grinned as Naruto's Shadow Clone popped into existence, and said, "Alright, now I'll take him out with a Sage Mode enhanced punch." He vanished from in front of Naruto's eyes and suddenly appeared in front of his clone. The pervert aimed a punch which flew to the right of the clone's face, and suddenly the clone fell backwards, a dent in his cheek. The clone was dispelled. Naruto's eyes widened, as the clone's memories rushed into his mind and he said, "Awesome! When do I start training in Sage Mode?"

Lord Fukasaku stepped in and said, "Well, you can't do it right away. See, Sage Techniques require you to be able to sense nature energy. Unless you can sense it, you cannot utilize it, and so you won't be able to learn it easily." Naruto clenched his fist and said, "Well, I'm not one to quit, no matter what! Coz that's my Ninja Way!" Fukasaku nodded and said, "Well, then. You will have to come with us to Mount Myoboku to train under me."

Naruto froze; then he said, "Mount Myoboku?" Lord Fukasaku nodded and Naruto said, "How long would I be gone?" The old frog looked at Jiraiya and the two of them nodded. Jiraiya said, "Well, the training is different for everyone. I did it between missions and my personal life, so it took me around three years."

Naruto shouted, "Three years! No way!"

Jiraiya held up his hand and Naruto stopped yelling. The pervert continued, "But with you, I think it will take around a month or so. You see, you are much more persistent than I am. Also, I started training during the Third Great Ninja War. That's why it took me so long. And you have your Shadow Clones to help you along the way." Naruto thought about it and said, "Alright then. If you can clear up my schedule with Grandma Tsunade, I'm in."

Jiraiya paled; he hadn't considered asking his team-mate about this. He stammered, "Well… I'll s…see what I can do." Fukasaku grinned and said, "Well, summon me when everything is dealt with, Jiraiya boy. See you." He disappeared and Jiraiya turned over to face Naruto again. He said, "Let's go to Tsunade right away."

Naruto nodded and Jiraiya put his hand on the boy's shoulder. The two of them disappeared and reached the rooftop of Ninja Ops. They descended and entered Tsunade's office. She looked up and said curiously, "Hey, you two. What do you want today?" Jiraiya said, "It's that thing I spoke to you about that day during Naruto's promotion. About Mount Myoboku." Tsunade said, "Yeah, but you didn't tell me what you had planned, apart from taking Naruto there."

Jiraiya came closer to her and said, "I'm planning to have Lord Fukasaku train Naruto in Sage Arts." Tsunade's eyes widened. She said, "But…but that will take him so long!" Then she whispered furiously so that Naruto couldn't hear her, and said, "He's already stronger than anyone in the village!" Jiraiya nodded gravely and said, "But he's still not strong enough. Imagine him facing someone like Kisame Hoshigaki or even worse, Sasuke."

Tsunade froze and considered the statement. Then she said, "Alright then. How long will he be gone?" The pervert replied, "About one month."

She yelled again, "WHAT?! I can't have him gone for that long! He's already been gone for three years already!" Jiraiya whispered to her, "I have new intel regarding the Akatsuki. I needed to tell you anyway, so it's good that we're here. But Naruto will need to go."

The Hokage turned to Naruto and said, "Naruto, get lost." Naruto shouted, "SAY WHAT?!"

Tsunade said, "Now." He caught the serious look on her face and said, "I'm heading back to the training ground, Pervy Sage. I'll be there till evening if you need me." Jiraiya nodded and said, "Sounds good. I'll probably need to talk to you soon." Naruto vanished and Tsunade sat back in her chair, and crossed her fingers together. "What is it, Jiraiya?"

The old man said, "I got this month's report from him. It seems that the Akatsuki are perilously close to finding and capturing the Two Tails. He said that their leader Pein, stated that they would have to capture the Nine Tails next to maintain the balance of chakra in the shell of the Ten Tails."

Tsunade sighed and put her hand to her head. "So, it's finally come to that, huh? I guess you're right. We can't let Naruto remain in the village if the Akatsuki are coming to capture him. I guess that's why you're trying to get him to learn Sage Mode?" Jiraiya said, "That's one of the reasons. I've heard that Pein possesses the Rinnegan, something that I've only ever seen Nagato with. I'm curious about this power, because I never really saw how it works, since Nagato was too scared to ever utilize it."

Tsunade suddenly said, "What if Pein is Nagato?"

Jiraiya froze. He said, "I didn't consider that."

The female Sannin said, "Well, it could be true. After all, we don't know what happened to them after you left them. If only they had joined the Leaf back then, things would be so different today."

He sighed and said, "We have no way of knowing that right now anyway. Our contact said that Pein had orange short hair, while we know that Nagato had red hair. And he cannot be fooled by a GenJutsu or a transformation."

Tsunade said, "Those eyes are a mystery. We can only guess what is going on right now. To think that putting our best man in the Akatsuki is still not enough."

Jiraiya said heavily, "He sure did pay a big price to serve his village loyally. I've asked him time and again to come back, but he says he's onto something bigger than Pein." Tsunade's eye widened and she said, "Something bigger than Pein? What's that?" He replied, "He said that he would tell me only if his suspicions were true. He said he couldn't let any false rumors spread."

Tsunade sighed again and then suddenly remembered. "Jiraiya, it is Naruto's birthday next month! I totally forgot about that!" Jiraiya said, "It's too late to worry about something as stupid as birthdays. His life hangs in the balance." She said, "I guess you're right. Okay then, have him go to Mount Myoboku as soon as possible. I'll get his schedule cleared."

Jiraiya nodded and said, "Take care." She smirked, "Speak for yourself." He vanished and she looked out of the window, thinking, 'Naruto. You soon might become even stronger than my grandfather.'

Ino came up to the house and nodded. Shikamaru looked around and signaled to Choji. The big guy gave him a heads up. Shikamaru looked back at Ino and she signed, "Ninja Arts: Sensory Relay!"

Ino sensed thirty-three enemies in and around the house perimeters. She extended her relay to Shikamaru and Choji, who memorized the locations of the guards. Shikamaru whispered, "Alright, there's two ways we can get in there, the dangerous way and the easy way." Ino said, "Well, which one do we take?"

Shikamaru said, "Now obviously, these guards are on the lookout for Leaf or Sand ninjas. But I noticed one of the guards wearing a Stone headband. He may have been a rogue ninja or may just have stolen that headband. I don't know. But I think that if he is a Stone Ninja, we can somehow manipulate these guards into thinking we are Stone Ninjas too." Ino said, "But how will we know?" Then she slapped her forehead and said, "Of course. Give me a moment."

Shikamaru grinned. Ino pointed her hands at the Stone headband wearing guard. She intoned, "Ninja Arts: Mind Transfer Jutsu." As she looked through the guard's psyche, she found out that the target they were after had a spot of respect for Stone Ninjas who he encountered, and had offered some of them jobs as his bodyguards. This guard was one of them. She came out of his psyche and reported that to Shikamaru.

The lazy Chunin said, "Alright, then. We'll just transform into Stone ninjas and ask the guard if we can get jobs here as well." Ino said, "Just like that? Won't that be a little suspicious?" He replied, "Not if the guard himself is a Stone Ninja. He might welcome us, thinking we're just like him."

Ino said, "Let's give it a shot." But then she suddenly paused and said, "Wait a moment. Sensory Relay!" She looked around closely and said, "Oh my God!" Choji said, "What is it, Ino?" She said, "There's a guy in there among the guards who has the Byakugan!" Shikamaru said, "What! How is that possible? No one except the Hyugas have the Byakugan!"

Choji was disturbed and he said, "We should report this to Lady Hokage before we take any actions." Shikamaru nodded and Ino dialed up the Hokage. Tsunade answered, "What happened, Ino? Is there a problem?"

Ino relayed their news to her and she said, "But how can this be? As far as I know, there is no knowledge of anyone having the Byakugan outside the Leaf village, with an exception in the Mist!" Then she realized what she had said, and continued, "No one will speak about what I just said." The three of them replied, "Of course, Milady." She continued, "There is only one known person outside the Hyuga clan who possesses the Byakugan. He is a ninja of the Hidden Mist and they are our allies now. So I don't want this information to get out anywhere. Now, as to our little problem in Tanzaku Town…"

She paused and then said, "New orders. Finish your mission and then investigate the Byakugan user. Capture if needed and interrogate." Ino nodded and said, "Yes, Milady." Tsunade cut the call and Ino straightened up. She said, "What were you saying about dangerous and easy ways, Shikamaru?"

He replied, "Well, the Stone ninja way was the dangerous way. And the easy way, well…" He paused and Ino understood. She almost shouted, "No way! I am not going to do **that**!" She shuddered as she remembered **those** classes she had been forced to take in the Academy. Shikamaru shrugged and said, "It's the only other way that will guarantee us easy access into the house."

Ino frowned and stamped her foot. Then she said, "Fine. But only for the mission." She said, "Turn around." Choji and Shikamaru obediently turned and showed her their backs. She stripped down into her armored undergarments, and then removed them too. She quickly put on some fancy looking lingerie and put on a tight fitting black strapless short dress. It went down to just over half of her thighs. She grumbled, "I'm so not happy about this. Alright, I'm done."

Shikamaru said, "You think we are? But it has to be done."

Ino sauntered off and Choji said, "How long do you think she will take?" Shikamaru said, "I don't know. We'll just have to wait and watch."

Ino reached the guards and they ogled at her as she walked up, waving her body in a sensuous manner. She said, "Hello, guys. Can you help me?" The guard nearest to her, coincidentally the one who was wearing the Stone headband, said, "Certainly, fine lady." He had a slight nosebleed as he saw her dress straining at the bust.

She frowned inwardly, but maintained her composure nevertheless. She said, "I'm looking for a Mr. Enzo. Does he live somewhere nearby?" The guard suddenly tensed and said, "What business do you have with Mr. Enzo?" Ino swayed her behind a little bit and said sensuously, "I'm sure you can tell." The guard's nose started bleeding a little again, and he said, "I'll need to know your name and address. For security reasons."

Ino said smoothly, "Sure, why not? My name is Inoue and I live in the southern part of Tanzaku Town. Mr. Enzo hired me for services tonight." The guard nodded appreciatively and another one whispered to him, "Mr. Enzo sure is gonna enjoy himself tonight." The Stone headband wearing guard said, "Alright Ms. Inoue. Follow me, and please do not stray from behind me. Mr. Enzo is very important and has many guards. If you step outside the path even a little, you may be dead before you know it. And I would hate for a fine thing such as you to get hurt."

Ino put on a frightened look and said, "I may die? Just what type of man is Mr. Enzo?" The guard replied, "He's a businessman. I don't know much about him but he has been very helpful to me, giving me this job after I quit the Stone village." Then the guard seemed to clam up and said, "Please do not repeat that anywhere. The Stone village is ruthless and would love to kill me, for abandoning them."

Ino touched his shoulder, sliding her finger across his arm, hating herself. She said, "Why did you leave? I promise I won't tell anyone." He said, "Well, I guess there's no harm in telling you." She smiled sweetly at him and he continued, "In all my life, I've always dreamed of being a shinobi who is feared across the Five Great Nations. But my own village shattered my dreams because of politics. They tried to press charges on me in order to lift the blame of a murder from the Tsuchikage. Needless to say, I was disgusted and left the village."

Ino was surprised; she had expected him to be a rogue ninja. She saw Shikamaru and Choji sliding in after them and knew she had to keep this up for a little while more. She said, "Then why don't you join another village? Perhaps some village which is more condescending to their ninjas?"

The guard snorted and said, "All these villages are the same. And anyway, even if I don't belong there anymore, I would never sell them out. I'm just not made that way." She nodded, knowing that she would never sell out her village either. Ino said, "Well, that's a good thing. I admire that." The guard smiled at that and then said, "Alright, we're here."

Ino realized that they had reached inside the house and she said, "Where do I go?" The guard said, "I'll escort you in. There are guards outside his room too." Shikamaru and Choji made it in just in time before the doors of the house closed. The guard said, "I'm Kentaro, by the way." Ino said, smiling falsely, "That's a cute name." He blushed and said, "Thanks. Let's go." They headed for the target's room and reached in front to see a couple of guards waiting. The guard outside said, "Halt. State your purpose."

Ino began to speak but Kentaro cut across her, "I'm escorting this woman for Mr. Enzo. He has hired her for tonight, Kiko." The woman named Kiko said, "This girl? Hmph." Ino pretended to get angry at that and said, "Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" Kiko simply ignored her and said, "Well, get it over with, Kentaro."

Kentaro stepped into the room, and said, "Mr. Enzo. Inoue is here to see you."

Inoue closed the door behind them and Kentaro turned behind at the sound. His eyes widened as the senbon in Ino's hand was thrust into his neck. She said sadly, "I'm so sorry."

Enzo got out of his bed and stared at Ino. Fear in his eyes, he asked, "Who are you?" She said, "You don't want to know, Mr. Enzo." Just then, the door opened, and Shikamaru and Choji came in. The two guards at the door lay unconscious. They stepped in and Enzo saw their headbands. He stammered, "Le…Leaf Ninjas?" Ino said, "Hold him still, Shikamaru. I want to get this over with as soon as possible."

Enzo tried to run but Shikamaru already had him stuck in his Shadow Possession. He said, "Do it." Ino said, "Mind Transfer Jutsu." As she went into his psyche, she started perusing all the information he had. Her eyes widened more and more as she read the information. She quickly finished reading and returned to her psyche. Even as she reached into her body, she said, "Finish it, Shikamaru."

He signed and intoned, "Ninja Arts: Shadow Stitching!" Enzo fell to the ground and the Choji and Shikamaru looked at Ino, who had a hard look on her face. She said, "Let's go."

Shikamaru asked, "What happened?" Ino shook her head and said, "I can't tell you, not yet. We need to get back as soon as possible." They were leaving the room when Ino said, "Wait. I'll change back so I can run faster." The two males turned again and Ino changed back into her uniform. She said, "Okay, time to go."

They exited the room through the window, and Ino started her Sensory Relay again. With her help, they were able to avoid conflict and made their way out of the perimeter easily. Shikamaru said, "Well, that went rather well for an A-Rank mission." Ino said, "Don't push your luck. We need to get back tonight."

Shikamaru said, "Aren't we forgetting something?" Ino said, "What? If it isn't something important, we have to leave right away." Shikamaru replied, "The Byakugan user." Both Ino and Choji froze and Ino said, "Right, I totally forgot about that. Let's take him out quickly." She enabled her Sensory Relay again and focused on the Byakugan user. She said, "Thank God he doesn't have the Byakugan enabled right now, or we would be totally screwed." Choji said, "What do we do?"

Shikamaru said, "It'll have to be quick, no matter what. I'm thinking formation 8." Ino nodded and Choji quickly expanded his hand, catching the Byakugan user and holding him tight. Shikamaru used the Shadow Possession to paralyze the guard, and Ino quickly Mind Transferred into him. She gasped and came back into her psyche, saying, "Kill him." This time, Shikamaru used the Shadow Strangulation Jutsu and killed the Byakugan user silently. He said, "Who was he, Ino?" She said, "I can't say that. At least until I tell the Hokage first. Shikamaru, store his body in that FuinJutsu scroll you always carry. Let's go, quickly." Choji ended his jutsu, his hand returning to normal size.

Shikamaru stared at her. He thought, 'What is this information that Ino found which is so important?' Choji was thinking the same thing. They headed back to the Leaf quickly and reached as the moon reached its zenith. Ino said, "I'll report to the Hokage, you guys can go. Shikamaru, hand me that scroll. Good job." The two men nodded and moved off, Choji saying, "Wonder what that's about." Shikamaru replied, "Don't worry about it. At least until she's ready to tell us."

Ino headed off to Ninja Ops and saw Tsunade standing on the roof. She shunshined up there and said, "Ino Yamanaka reporting, Milady." Tsunade didn't turn. She said, "I assume the mission was a success." Ino said, "Yes, Milady." Tsunade turned and said. "I want a Blood Oath from you never to talk of this with anyone else. The penalty will be death."

Ino gasped. Death was the most serious penalty for a Blood Oath. She sighed and took the Oath. Then she said, "I couldn't believe that this man worked for the Akatsuki. He looked like such a normal person, that I never would have felt he was so evil."

Tsunade sighed and said, "It seems that the Akatsuki are even more resourceful that I imagined. I had to make sure I got all the information out of Enzo. I had my suspicions but I never had proof. Until now, of course. Give me everything you know."

Ino told her everything she had learnt of, and Tsunade's eyes widened. She said, "That's… just horrible. To think that the Akatsuki would go to such extents…" Then the Hokage said, "Anyway, that's that dealt with. Ino, I want you to keep an eye out on Naruto now. He needs to be kept in control, what with the Akatsuki so hot on his heels now. You know Master Jiraiya, I presume?"

Ino nodded and said, "Every female in the village knows that pervert. What about him?" Tsunade smiled at the comment and said, "Jiraiya is planning to take Naruto to Mount Myoboku to train in Sage Arts." Ino said, "What? What are Sage Arts? And what is Mount Myoboku?"

Tsunade looked surprised; "Naruto never told you about his toads?" Ino shook her head and Tsunade elaborated, "Naruto has a Summoning Contract with the Toad Clan of Mount Myoboku." Ino understood and then she frowned. She said, "What about Sage Arts? What is that?"

Tsunade said, "You know about the two types of energy one possesses, right? Physical energy and spiritual energy? Well, Sage Arts are techniques which utilizes nature energy, which is found outside of our bodies. It is present in the natural world and is much stronger than our normal chakra."

Ino said, "That is something I didn't know about. So how do you use nature energy?" Tsunade said, "That is one of the toughest parts of training in Sage Arts. Very few people are ever able to master it, due to the person gathering nature energy requiring to be perfectly still at all times."

Ino froze. She said, "The person needs to be still at all times? Then how can anyone fight if they need to be still?" Tsunade nodded, knowing that the sharp girl would figure it out and said, "Well, there are three known places in the world where Sage Arts can be learnt. One of course, is Mount Myoboku. The second is Ryuuchi Caves, where the Snake Clan lives. And the third is the Shikkotsu Woods, where my grandfather, the First Hokage, learnt Sage Arts, and it is also the place where I got my summoning contract with Lady Katsuyu."

Ino said, "I didn't know that the First Hokage practised Sage Arts." Tsunade said, "It is said that only he could ever learn Sage Arts from the Shikkotsu Woods, because he was unique. He could use Wood Style jutsus, after all. I don't think anyone who does not possess Wood Style can learn Sage Arts from the Shikkotsu Woods." Ino said, "How about Mount Myoboku?"

Tsunade replied, "Mount Myoboku is the home of the Toad Clan. They are well known as one of the strongest clans in the world. The Toad Oil which they possess is known for having the ability, to make the person who uses it, sense nature energy. It is where Jiraiya learnt Sage Arts as well." Ino nodded and said, "So when is Naruto going?"

The Hokage said, "I assume that he will be leaving either tomorrow or the day after."

Ino blanched. She said, "What? And you're telling me this now?"

The Hokage said, "There are things more important in this world right now, Ino. Now, you can go. I have no doubt that you will want to make the fullest of whatever time you have left with him." She smirked and Ino blushed. Then Ino suddenly remembered and said, "Lady Tsunade, I almost forgot. We managed to take out that Byakugan user." Tsunade said, "Oh, that's a relief. What did you find out about him?" Ino handed the Hokage the FuinJutsu scroll and said, "I have his body stored in this. And I saw in his mind as well. It's…horrible. I wish I could just forget it, but I can't." Tsunade said, "Tell me, so you won't have to bear the burden on your own." Ino nodded and relayed all the information to Tsunade. The Hokage stared at Ino, stunned. She said, "Are you positive?" Ino nodded with a sad look and said, "I know it sounds horrible but it's true. I saw it all from his mind." Tsunade said, "How horrible for you. I hope no one else suffers the same fate as that poor Hyuga again."

Ino said, "I'm totally gonna have nightmares about this tonight. Speaking of which, I should leave now. I want to meet Naruto before he leaves." Tsunade nodded with a morose look and Ino vanished. Tsunade thought, 'I hope that you can forgive me for not telling you about Naruto earlier, Ino. But I must do what is best for the village.'

Naruto was sleeping, dreaming of turning into a toad, when he suddenly woke up with a jerk. He felt that he was being watched. His feeling turned right when he saw that Ino was just a couple of meters away from him, her hand outstretched to wake him up. She froze and he got up. He switched on his bedside lamp and looked at her face, astonished to find tear tracks on it.

Naruto asked her with concern, "What's wrong, Ino?"

She hugged him and his arms fell to his side, as she whispered in his ear, "You're going away for a month, aren't you?"

Naruto froze, and then looked at her as she broke off. He said blankly, "Who told you?" She replied, "Lady Tsunade." Naruto relaxed and said weakly, "Yeah, I have to go to Mount Myoboku for some training in something called Sage Arts." Ino said sadly, "I know, she told me what it is." She looked down sadly, and he said, "Hey, it's not like I can't come back, you know."

She looked up and he smiled, "Once I'm there, I can come back whenever I want. I just need to make sure that I'm not gone from there for too long." Ino smiled radiantly and said, "Then it's okay. Best of luck, and make sure that you learn Sage Arts as soon as possible!"

Naruto smiled and said, "I'll be back as soon as possible! Believe it!"

**Author's Note**: Hey, what's up, my fellow readers and writers, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys today. I thought it would be good to showcase Ino as a little more than Naruto's girlfriend, you know. Give her some more importance. That's the reason for this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it. Review on what you liked or didn't like, and I'll try to improve as much as I can. So, as usual, Happy Reading!


	27. Chapter 27: Mount Myoboku

Author's Note: Hey guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys. This is my longest one yet. Hope you guys enjoy, and Happy Reading!

**Chapter 27: Mount Myoboku**

Naruto woke up. He thought, 'There's something I'm missing.' Then he remembered and got out of bed. He went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. As he came back out, Ino came out of the kitchen and said, "Good morning, sleepyhead." He replied sleepily, "Morning, Ino. What are you doing up so early?"

She said, "You're going to Mount Myoboku today, right? I thought of cooking some breakfast before you leave." Naruto scratched his cheek and said, "Now that I think about it, Pervy Sage never really told me whether we're going today or not." Ino looked at him in surprise and then said, "Well, then. I guess you should ask him." He nodded and then went for his shower. After he was done, he sat at the table and Ino came out of the kitchen, bringing a platter of bacon and eggs with her. She set it down in front of him and he tucked in. With his mouth full, he asked, "Are you not eating?"

She said, "It's too fattening for me. I'm going to have porridge, it's still cooking." Naruto and he said, "This is really delicious." She smiled and they continued to make small talk until the doorbell rang. Ino answered it and saw Jiraiya standing in the door. She said, "Master Jiraiya. Nice to meet you. Please come in."

The pervert said, "Good morning, Ino. I assume Naruto is in?" She nodded and he stepped in to see the house, and smiled. "You have a really beautiful house, Ino."

Ino smiled and then the old man noticed Naruto, who had just finished eating. He said, "Good morning, Naruto. I realized that I never came by to the training field yesterday, so I thought of coming by early today. We're leaving today afternoon."

Naruto said, "Alright, Pervy Sage. I'll get my stuff ready and meet you at the gates at around 2PM. Is that okay?" The pervert started to speak but Naruto said, "Hey, Pervy Sage? Can I ask you something?" Jiraiya nodded and Naruto continued, "If you can use Sage Arts, then you must be very strong. Why couldn't you ever defeat Orochimaru?"

The old man froze. He looked down at his feet and then said sadly, "I never mastered Sage Arts, Naruto. I am what the toads call an imperfect Sage. It is why I have toad-ish characteristics whenever I use nature energy. However, Orochimaru has also trained in Sage Arts in the Ryuuchi caves and attained perfect Sage abilities. But because of his need to change bodies, he can no longer use any techniques related to Sage Arts. However, even though he cannot use the techniques, he can sense nature energy just like I can. So Sage Arts do not work against him. I have tried many times to bring him down, but he always manages to slither away."

Naruto said, "So, that snake is a Sage too." Jiraiya nodded and Naruto said, "Then I guess Sasuke must know about this as well." Both Jiraiya and Ino stared at him. Ino said, "I don't think Sasuke would know about Sage Arts. Since both of you were gone for the same amount of time, and you didn't know about Sage Arts back then, I highly doubt that he would too."

Jiraiya said, "Don't think that way, Ino. Sasuke is a prodigy, and is much faster and stronger than most ninjas because of his Kekkei Genkai. Naruto is very strong now, but I don't think he can match Sasuke if the Uchiha knows Sage Arts."

Naruto said, "Well, then I guess I'll just have to hurry up and learn this nature stuff quickly." Jiraiya said, "Then I'll take my leave now. Meet me above Ninja Ops at 2PM. Don't go to the gates, we don't want anyone to know that you've gone."

Naruto said, "Why Ninja Ops?" He replied, "Tsunade wants to speak to you before we leave."

Naruto nodded and Jiraiya vanished. Ino said, "Well, I guess this is it then." He said, "Like I said, I can come back anytime." She said, "That's not going to stop me from missing you, is it?"

He hugged her and said, "I'm going to miss you too, Ino."

Then he said, "Can you help me with my packing?" She nodded and they headed of towards Naruto's bedroom.

The next couple of hours were devoted to packing Naruto's things. Ino said, "You better not take too much. You don't know how you will be staying there." Naruto grinned and said, "Don't worry. I'm going to seal all my things in scrolls." She nodded and said, "Maybe you can teach me about that sometime too." He nodded and then said, "Oh, I almost forgot! Remember at the Sound village when I told you I completed your jutsu?" Ino nodded, remembering. She said, "You said you would show me when you got back. But between the promotion and missions and other stuff, you never did show it to me."

Naruto said, "Hold my hand." She did, and they suddenly vanished, reappearing into the training field where Naruto had crafted Kitsune. Naruto went up to a rock nearby and said, "Watch."

He held his right hand out, with his fingers slightly apart from each other. Suddenly, a blue orb started to appear on his index finger. It was around one inch in circumference. He closed his eyes in concentration, and another orb formed on his middle finger. Meanwhile, the first orb had started spinning. Slowly, four spheres appeared on his fingers, and started spinning. Naruto's face scrunched up with a strained look, and the fifth orb appeared on top of his thumb. They all started spinning in sync with each other.

Ino gasped, "Naruto! How did you manage this?! I can barely make one Rasengan right now!" He quickly thrust his hand into the rock and a grinding noise emitted out of it. Then suddenly, the rock burst apart into small pieces. Naruto shielded his face with his hands to avoid getting hit by the pieces of the rock. He looked and Ino and said, "That takes a lot out of me right now. I've only just mastered it." Ino said with amazement on her face, "You yourself told me that the Rasengan is the highest change in chakra form! To actually make five of them in one hand, and that too with such tight chakra threads is incredible! Your chakra control is much better than mine!"

Naruto said modestly, "I don't think so, Ino. I just happen to have a lot of chakra." She said, "Having heaps of chakra doesn't mean a thing if you can't control it. You're definitely stronger than any other Chunin in the village." He smiled at that and said, "Did you hear the noise that came from the rock when I thrust the Rasengans into it? It was quite different from the normal Rasengan."

Ino probed her own thoughts and recollected the shattering of the rocks. She saw the way the rocks had blown apart and said, "I think that your Rasengans are causing that. You see, every one of your Rasengans are of a different chakra frequency, which means that they create a resonance within the rock when they strike it. That makes the rock explode from within, and it blasts outwards."

Naruto looked totally lost, and said, "Yeah, I thought it was something like that." Ino giggled and said, "Well, all you need to know is, that if you hit someone with that, their intestines will explode within their body and come outwards." He stared at her with his eyes wide and said, "I never thought it could be so powerful."

Ino said, "Well, it is the Fourth Hokage's jutsu." He nodded.

At 2PM, Naruto took all his scrolls and tucked them into his belt. He said, "Wanna see me off, Ino?" She nodded and said, "As if I would let you go without saying goodbye." The two of them reached Ninja Ops. They saw Tsunade and Jiraiya waiting for them on the roof. The couple shunshined up to the roof and Tsunade started without preamble, "Are you ready for this training, Naruto? I can't have you gone if you're gonna be distracted all the time." She looked at Ino and smirked, and the platinum blonde blushed. But she maintained her composure, and Naruto replied, "Well, you know that I'm always ready to get stronger, Grandma."

Tsunade's eye twitched and Jiraiya laughed. The old pervert said, "Alright then. Guess this is goodbye, Tsunade and Ino." They two women nodded and Jiraiya signed, "I, Inu, Tori, Saru, Hitsuji! Summoning Jutsu!" A cloud of smoke rose from where Jiraiya had slapped the summoning seal, and a toad came out from the smoke. The toad had purple hair and was wearing a cloak. Naruto said, "Who is that, Pervy Sage?"

The pervert replied, "This is Lady Shima, Lord Fukasaku's wife." He nodded and the toad said, "What is it, Jiraiya-boy?" Jiraiya said, "I need you to take us back to Mount Myoboku." She said, "Is that it? You could have called Fukasaku for that, couldn't you?"

The old man said, "You know as well as I do, that Lord Fukasaku cannot reverse summon more than one person at a time, while you can do at least five." The toad smiled and said, "You flatter me, Jiraiya-boy. Well, as I am here now, I'll do it anyway." Naruto came forward and stood next to Jiraiya. Just then, Ino and Tsunade came up and the Hokage said, "Now, Naruto I want you to be careful, alright? I can't have you getting into trouble now. Take care." The pervert smiled at that and Ino went up to Naruto and hugged him. She said, "Don't push yourself, ya know."

He smiled and said mischievously, "I think I'm rubbing off on you, Ino." She smiled and said, "You better believe it." She kissed him and then stood back as the two of them held onto the female toad. She signed and said, "Reverse Summoning!" The last thing Naruto saw was Ino waving him goodbye.

Naruto found himsef standing in a forest of some sort. What was weird for Naruto was that the forest seemed to be made simply of normal plants which were way too big than in the human world. He recognized some of the plants and said, "Hey Pervy Sage, how come these plants are so big in this place? They're as tall as Gamabunta!"

Jiraiya said, "This is Mount Myoboku. It is a sacred place, and everything here is just as big. Come on, let's meet the old one." Naruto looked at him in confusion, and he elaborated, "The old Sage toad. He is the Elder over here. We should pay our respects to him before starting your training."

Naruto and Jiraiya went to the old toad and gave their greetings to him. The old toad said, "Ah, nice of you to come by. Now…what was your name again?" Jiraiya's eye twitched and he said, "I thought you would remember at least that by now. How long have I been coming here from?" The toad said, "How should I know?"

Jiraiya said, "Ugh. I'm Jiraiya, old man. Honestly, I think your memory is getting worse and worse." The old toad's eyes opened a little and he noticed Naruto. He said, "Ah, Jiraiya. I see you've changed a lot. When did your hair become yellow?" Naruto said, "Oye, old toad, Pervy Sage is over there, I'm Naruto."

The toad focused his eyes where Naruto was pointing and saw Jiraiya. He nodded and said, "Oh, there you are, Jiraiya." Jiraiya said, "I've brought Naruto here to train in Sage Arts." The old toad smiled slowly and said, "Ah, like many others, one more tries his hardest to become a Sage. I wish you best of luck, Naruto. Do well. Now, where is Naruto?" Naruto grumbled, "I'm here, old toad." Then he asked Jiraiya quietly, "Are we done here, Pervy Sage? I want to start training." Jiraiya nodded and said, "Let's go. Lord Fukasaku, if you will lead the way." The Elder closed his eyes again, and Lord Fukasaku sighed. He said, "Old man's memory just keeps getting worse."

The three of them walked off and reached a waterfall of toad oil. Naruto's eyes widened in astonishment as he saw the place. He said, "It's so beautiful!" Jiraiya and Fukasaku smiled. The toad said, "This is the sacred waterfall of Mount Myoboku. This is where the training for sensing nature energy is done." Naruto said, "Alright! Let's get started!" Jiraiya said, "Not just yet, Naruto."

The blonde looked at him in confusion and said, "What is it, Pervy Sage?" The old man said, "There are a few things you should know before starting this training. First, you have to be completely still when you gather nature energy. The slightest movement and you will be back to base one. Also, you cannot gather too much nature energy, or you will start to turn to stone. Nature energy is very difficult to handle, and even the best of ninjas have lost their lives trying to master it. You see all the stone toad statues around this place?"

Naruto nodded and the pervert continued, "That is what happens if you start to gather too much nature energy." The blonde's eyes widened in shock and then he said, "This is awfully tough, old man. Mind telling me why you didn't inform me of this earlier?" Jiraiya replied, "Because I believe that you are the only one who can surpass me in Sage Mode."

Naruto blinked, "Sage Mode?" Jiraiya said, "It's my way of calling a person who is using nature energy." The blonde said, "It does have a nice ring to it. Alright, I'm ready to start training in Sage Mode."

Fukasaku said, "Take off your clothes, then." Naruto blanched and said, "What? Why?" Fukasaku said, "In order for you to use the toad oil which will help you, you will need to remove your clothes." Naruto grumbled but took off his uniform. He stood in his underpants and said, "Alright, what's next?"

Jiraiya said, "Sit in the spot over there, in the middle of the waterfall." The knucklehead sat in the spot and Fukasaku leapt over to him. The old toad gathered two drops of oil and spread them onto Naruto's left and right forearms. He said, "Now, you must close your eyes and sit extremely still. As you do, you will start to notice the energy flowing around you in the world. When you do, you must inform me." Naruto nodded and closed his eyes.

Jiraiya said to Fukasaku, "Well, what do we do now?" The old toad said, "How about you leave this to me? You should be doing your own work now, shouldn't you?" The pervert replied, "I don't know, I want to see Naruto in Sage Mode, after all."

The old toad said, "Won't that take some time? I'll reverse summon you when he does." Jiraiya nodded and said, "Well, I'll need to be sent back then." Fukasaku intoned, "Reverse Summoning Jutsu." and Jiraiya disappeared. Naruto opened his eyes and said, "Where's Pervy Sage?" Fukasaku said, "He's gone for his own business. Now, why did you open your eyes? I thought I told you to remain perfectly still." Naruto said, "I couldn't help it. You guys were talking and it was distracting."

Fukasaku said, "Very well. Continue now, and I shall supervise." Naruto sat there for a few hours before he suddenly sensed another type of energy around him, different from his regular chakra, all around him. He opened his eyes and said, "Hey old toad, I sensed something different from my regular chakra in the air around me. Is that nature energy?"

The old toad looked astonished, and said, "How did you do it so fast? It took me an entire day to do it!" Naruto shrugged and the toad thought, 'This is rather intriguing. I didn't expect that the boy would become one with nature so fast. He may just become a perfect Sage.'

Then Fukasaku started training him in gathering the nature energy. Naruto said, "How about I create a few clones to help me?" Fukasaku said, "Alright, but no more than four clones. I won't be able to handle any more, because I will have to beat the nature energy out of you if you gather too much." He showed Naruto his stick and the blonde blanched. Then he focused his energy and said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

A few minutes later, only one Naruto remained, howling in pain as Fukasaku beat him hard on the back. He said, "Man, this is way too tough. How do you gather less nature energy?" Fukasaku said, "There is no shortcut to this training. You are already progressing much faster than I thought. If you could somehow make your clones a little stronger, this would go much better. Your Shadow Clones can't last after taking a single one of my hits, and you can't continuously create more, it'll just tire you out."

Naruto nodded and grinned, saying, "Then I'll just make better clones." He went over to his uniform and took out a kunai from it. Then he punctured his own forearm, letting the blood gush out. Once there was enough, he stopped holding back the fox's regenerative powers and intoned, "Hidden Art: Blood Clone Jutsu!" Four clones of Naruto emerged from the pool of blood which had been created on the ground. They looked at Fukasaku and said as one, "Alright, let's go!"

Fukasaku said, "Alright, that's enough for now." Naruto complained, "No way! I'm not tired yet!" The old toad wheezed and said, "But I am." Naruto nodded and suddenly his stomach grumbled. He said, "Man, I'm hungry now. Gathering this nature energy is a tough task."

The two of them went towards the old toad's home and Lady Shima greeted them. She said, "Come on in, I've prepared a wonderful meal for the two of you!" Naruto clapped his hands and said, "Alright, let's eat!"

They went in and Naruto froze as he saw the different bugs and insects on the table, while Fukasaku said in delight, "This is such a feast! When did you bring all of this?" Lady Shima said, "I went out today while you were busy training Naruto."

Naruto said, "I can't eat this, you two. I can't eat insects." Fukasaku said, "Nonsense. This tastes just like pork." The two toads sat at the table and Lady Shima looked at Naruto, who blanched a bit and said, "Can you excuse me?" He went outside, placed his hand on the wall of the house for support and vomited. He then went back in. He said, "I am sorry, but I can't eat this. It is not edible for humans. You guys enjoy the food, I need to get something suited to me."

Fukasaku said, "Naruto-boy, Mount Myoboku is more than a thousand miles away from human civilization. How are you going to get anything to eat?" Naruto grinned and said, "Don't worry about that, old man, I got a secret."

Naruto headed towards Ichiraku's, humming quietly. He popped in and said, "Hey old man, one extra-large ramen please!" Teuchi smiled and said, "Hey Naruto. I heard you'd gone off training. How come you're back so soon?" Naruto grinned and said, "I'll tell you someday." Then he sat down to eat. As he was finishing his first bowl, a head popped in and Naruto looked at it to see Iruka looking back at him.

Naruto said, "Hey Iruka sensei, long time no see."

Iruka replied, "Hi, Naruto. Weren't you off training at Mount Myoboku?" Naruto said, "How does everyone seem to know that?" Iruka said, "I met Ino today, she told me." The blonde nodded and said, "I came back for some dinner, since the toads there eat only bugs and insects." Iruka and Naruto ate together, and then walked together towards Iruka's house. Naruto said, "Hey sensei? Can I ask you something?" The teacher nodded and Naruto continued, "During the Sound liberation, I noticed you with Yugao-san and that crazy snake woman, Anko, who threatened me during my first Chunin exams. How do you know them?"

Iruka smiled and said, "That's a long story, Naruto." They reached Iruka's house and he said, "I'll tell it to you when you get back from your training, alright?" Naruto nodded and said, "So long, sensei." He vanished and Iruka sighed. The door opened and a hand pulled Iruka inside.

Naruto walked up to the old toad one afternoon. Fukasaku said, "Where were you, Naruto?" The boy replied, "Just looking around this place, you know, familiarizing myself with it." Lord Fukasaku nodded and said, "Shall we resume our training, now that I've had my afternoon nap?" Naruto nodded and they headed towards the fountain again. Fukasaku said, "You're very close to the end of the first phase of your training, Naruto-boy. Soon, you shall progress to sensing and gathering nature energy without any oil." Naruto said, "Why's that?"

Fukasaku said, "What do you mean?" Naruto elaborated, "Why do I have to do it without the oil?" The old toad said, "Because you cannot have the oil with you when you leave this place."

Naruto asked, "Why?" The old toad said, "This atmosphere is the only place where our oil can be used. In normal atmospheres, it will evaporate almost instantly. That is why you cannot use it in normal fights. This oil is used only as a beginner's method in order to make people sense nature energy quickly." Naruto nodded and said, "I see. That's why I gotta learn to sense it without using the oil, right?" Fukasaku nodded and said, "But it is extremely tough to do that, which is why I had you train with the oil first."

Naruto sat down again, and started focusing. Fukasaku splashed some oil on his back, and Naruto's eyes started to change. The color around them became orange. He opened his eyes and Fukasaku noticed that each eye had a flat blue retina. He said, "I think I've got the hold of this, old man."

Lord Fukasaku smiled and said, "Indeed you have, Naruto-boy. Now, we shall proceed to our next stage." They headed towards the mountains which Naruto had noticed on his first day. He said, "Those mountains are awfully sharp at the top."

Fukasaku said, "They are specially made to punish those who do not concentrate properly. Take one of those tiles which are lying at the base of the mountains and go up." Naruto took one of the tiles and was surprised at its heft. He saw Fukasaku picking one up without any effort and immediately felt a rise in respect for the old toad. They climbed up the mountain and Fukasaku balanced their tiles onto the mountain edges. He said, "Naruto-boy, I won't be able to let you use clones at this stage, even though you do not need them anymore. I must warn you that if your concentration lacks even a little, you will fall off, and that will hurt. Make sure you do not gather too much nature energy, for I will not be able to beat it out of you this time."

Naruto nodded firmly and sat on the tile. A second later he was hanging off the side of the mountain, Fukasaku's tongue around his waist. He said, "Man, that's damn tough. How are you able to sit on your tile so easily, geezer toad?" Fukasaku lowered him to the ground and Naruto picked up another tile before coming up. He balanced the tile and sat on it. Fukasaku said, "I have had years of experience at sitting still. It is second nature for me to concentrate on sensing natural energy now." Naruto nodded and his tile wobbled dangerously. He immediately sat still.

Fukasaku said, "I think it is best if you don't focus on gathering nature energy before you learn to sit still on top of this mountain, Naruto - boy. You see, unless you learn to find your center of balance, and sit still no matter what the condition, you will not be able to gather nature energy efficiently." Naruto said, "Well then, I guess I'll just have to do my best."

Throughout the days, Naruto learned to focus on sitting still, no small feat for him, seeing as he was the most hyperactive ninja in the Leaf. A few days later, he opened his eyes and said, "I think I'm ready, geezer toad." Fukasaku nodded and said, "I see you have mastered the ability to be perfectly still. Now, sit still and sense the nature energy around you. It should be easier for you to gather it, because you already have done it. However, without the oil, you will find it harder to sense it, so you will have to concentrate harder. Once you've sensed it, it is easy to gather it. I will be watching and if you gather too much, I will have no choice but to make you fall off the mountain."

Naruto blanched and then sat still as his tile started to move again. He slowly brought his hands out in front of him and closed his eyes, meditating. A few minutes later, his eyelids started turning orange. Fukasaku stared in astonishment as Naruto opened his eyes. He thought, 'This boy is really amazing. He was able to gather the nature energy so quickly even without the oil!' Naruto said, "I feel…different. I feel light…and strong."

The toad said, "That's the effect of the nature energy." Naruto nodded and went back to meditating. A couple of birds gathered around and sat on his shoulders. Around ten minutes later, he opened his eyes. Fukasaku thought, 'Amazing. Naruto – boy has certainly managed to gather a lot of nature energy, more than when he was using the oil. He also has the marks around his eyes, signifying that he is ready to use nature energy. And no froglike characteristics either. Naruto, you just might surpass Jiraiya and become a perfect Sage.' Naruto said, "That's as far as I can go, without overflowing on nature energy." Fukasaku said, "Come then, I shall teach you Frog Kumite now."

Fukasaku and Naruto both panted as they stared at each other. Naruto thought, 'This old toad sure is tough.' Similarly, Fukasaku thought, 'Naruto-boy sure learns fast.' He noticed Naruto's eyes which were completely normal now, except for the toad like dash in his yellow retinas, and the orange color on his eyelids. He thought, 'There's no doubt about it. Naruto has attained perfect Sage Mode.'

The old toad said, "Naruto-boy, just a moment." Naruto, who was starting to get ready to attack again, stopped and Fukasaku signed, intoning, "Reverse Summoning Jutsu!" Suddenly, a cloud of smoke appeared and Jiraiya stepped through, in nothing but a bathrobe. He blanched and said, "What the hell, old man? You can't just summon me whenever you like! I was just going to enter a hot spring with some really lovely ladies!"

Fukasaku grinned and said, "Sorry, Jiraiya-boy, but didn't you yourself tell me to summon you when Naruto attained Sage Mode?" Jiraiya froze and said, "You mean he's already done it? But it's been only two weeks since…"

Then the pervert noticed Naruto who was just standing there waiting for the two old guys to finish talking. He saw Naruto's eyes and was stunned. Naruto smiled at him and he said, "Congratulations, Naruto. I see you've finally surpassed even me." Naruto smirked and said, "Wanna go at it, Pervy Sage?" Jiraiya laughed nervously and said, "Maybe some other time. Now, make sure you finish training fast, because Tsunade wants to talk to you soon." Naruto said, "What do you mean, Pervy Sage?" He replied, "She'll tell you when you meet her. Now take me back, Fukasaku." The old toad released him and the pervert disappeared.

Naruto said, "Shall we continue?" Lord Fukasaku said, "Yes, lets." They continued training for a week until Fukasaku said, "Alright, Naruto. I guess this is as far as I can take you. It's been a pleasure teaching you, and you are unusually talented. Now, all that remains is for you to infuse your nature energy with your normal chakra, and you'll be able to unleash some really powerful attacks." Naruto nodded and then Fukasaku said, "Then I guess it is time for me to fuse with you."

Naruto blanched as he thought about that and said, "No way! What do you mean, fuse with me?" Fukasaku said, "I don't mean completely fuse, boy! I mean like the time Jiraiya-boy and I showed you Sage Arts for the first time, where I was sitting on his shoulder." Naruto remembered and relaxed, saying, "Alright then. But why?" Fukasaku said, "Do you honestly think that you will be able to gather nature energy in the middle of a battle, without remaining still and letting your opponent kill you?" Naruto stared at him thoughtfully and then said, "So, what do I do?"

Fukasaku face palmed and said, "That's what I am for, knucklehead. Since I will be fused to your shoulder, any nature energy I gather will be transferred into your body and allow you to use it as you wish. That will bypass the requirement of you staying still, and allow you to utilize the nature energy much faster than normal."

Naruto nodded and said, "Then let's do it." Fukasaku hopped onto Naruto's right shoulder and sat there, focusing his chakra. Suddenly he fell off of Naruto's shoulder and went flying. Naruto said, "What's the matter, geezer toad?" Fukasaku said, "I don't know, Naruto. Let's try again."

He hopped back and sat on Naruto's left shoulder this time, but suddenly felt a surge of evil intent rise from inside Naruto's body and was propelled into the air again. He said, "I don't think we can fuse, Naruto-boy."

Naruto was stunned. He said, "What? Why are you saying that, geezer toad?" Fukasaku said, "The nine tailed fox inside of you is rejecting my attempt to fuse with you." Naruto blanched. He said, "Does that mean I won't be able to use nature energy in a fight?" Fukasaku nodded sadly and and Naruto punched a nearby tree in anger, shredding it into pieces. He said, "All this training, all this time, wasted! And all because of this stupid **FOX**!"

Fukasaku said, "I wish it were otherwise, but I guess you won't be able to enter Sage Mode in a battle now, Naruto." Naruto suddenly looked at him with a frenzied look and said, "No. I will find a way to gather nature energy while on the move. I'll have to. I can't have wasted all this time for nothing."

Fukasaku shook his head disappointedly, and said, "I'm afraid that won't work. Nature energy is very difficult to handle, as I'm sure you're aware of by now. Even gathering it while sitting still is extremely difficult. To gather it while on the move is quite impossible."

Naruto began running around the place, trying to gather nature energy until he ran out of gas. He fell onto the ground, nearly in tears. He said, "Why? Why does it always happen to me?" Fukasaku hopped next to him and said, "I am so sorry, Naruto-boy. If only I had known that the Kyuubi wouldn't allow me to fuse with you, we could have avoided all of this. There have been people before who I've not been able to fuse with. All of them had some kind of unique ability, which is why I couldn't do it. And there have been others who have tried the same thing that you just did, trying to gather nature chakra while on the move. But it's like looking at the left and the right at the same time."

Naruto let the words flow through his head. Then he suddenly sat up. 'Looking at the left and the right at the same time.' The words kept repeating themselves in his head, until…

"I"VE GOT IT!"

Fukasaku nearly fell on his butt in fright. Naruto had jumped into the air and suddenly intoned, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Five clones split off and sat on the floor immediately. They began to meditate and Fukasaku looked at the original in confusion. He saw Naruto smiling at the clones, and thought, 'What's with the smile on his face? Did he figure out something I didn't?'

He looked at the clones and saw their eyes turn orange. A figurative light bulb suddenly flicked on in his head and he said, "Are you doing what I think you are, Naruto?" Naruto smiled and said, "That's right, geezer toad. You know, when I was training with Pervy Sage, he told me that Shadow Clones are used for more than fighting. This jutsu is an A-Ranked jutsu for a reason. It is used for espionage and infiltration. And any information that a Shadow Clone finds is transferred back to the original when the clone is dispelled. So why can't nature energy find its way into my body the same way?"

Fukasaku nodded and said, "Ingenious. I see that you have really mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu very well, Naruto-boy. Let's see what happens now." One of the Shadow Clones looked up at Naruto and he nodded. The Shadow Clone dispelled itself and Naruto closed his eyes. He suddenly opened his eyes and Fukasaku saw that he had gone into Sage Mode. He applauded Naruto and said, "I see that your clones have excellent concentration as well." Naruto nodded and said, "Whenever I create clones, they are created with all the abilities that I possess at that time. So, because of my training, my clones are stronger too."

The old toad said, "Well, then. Let us engage in Frog Kumite for a while, until the nature energy inside you runs out." Naruto nodded and they engaged in combat for a few minutes. Suddenly Naruto took a blow from Fukasaku and went flying back, much harder than he should have. He jumped back up and Fukasaku said, "You're back to normal." Naruto looked at him in confusion and said, "That's weird. I don't feel any different." The toad nodded and said, "That's because the nature energy from your clones passes from a different body before it returns to you, therefore it is filtered through that body and is not as long lasting or as strong. Not all the chakra is returned when a clone is dispelled. Some of it is always wasted. Your Sage Mode lasted only for six minutes. Whereas when you yourself attained Sage Mode, you could last for over fifteen minutes."

Naruto frowned and thought, "That is a problem. I can't see how I can extend my time in Sage Mode without creating more clones. But too many clones could be a problem, since I might overflow on nature energy, and turn into a toad." Then he suddenly thought, "Oh yeah! There's one more thing I can do!"

Fukasaku said, "What is that?" Naruto went up to the clones and said, "Hey guys, sorry but I need you to let go of all the nature energy right now. I need to dispel you and too much nature chakra will turn me to stone." The clones said as one, "Sorry, boss. We cannot let go of nature energy. You never learnt how to do that, ya know. We'll just have to beat it out of each other." Naruto nodded and the remaining clones brawled until only one remained. Naruto's eyes were wide and he thought, 'My clones were so strong in Sage Mode! I can really make use of that!' Fukasaku beat the last clone with his stick and got all the nature chakra out of him. The clone thanked him and dispelled.

The toad said, "Now, what was it that you were thinking of, Naruto-boy?"

Naruto replied, "The same way in which I learnt to gather nature energy in the first place." He cut his hand open and let the blood flow. Then he said, "Hidden Arts: Blood Clone Jutsu!"

Three Blood Clones emerged from the puddle of blood gathered around Naruto and sat down to meditate. Fukasaku was confused and said, "How are these clones different from your Shadow Clones, Naruto-boy? Apart from being stronger?" Naruto countered, "Pervy Sage once taught me that Shadow clones are fragile for a reason, and that was because they are made entirely out of chakra. Most clones used by other people are water clones and earth clones, and those are much stronger than shadow clones. So, the Pervy Sage had me create clones with my own blood. This is very effective for me because I regenerate extremely fast. Therefore, I am best suited for this jutsu. Also, because the clones are constructed of my own life force, I get all the energy back from them, through the medium of blood, rather than most of the energy being dispersed."

Fukasaku said, "I see. That is clever indeed." Naruto nodded. Just then, one of the clones looked up and Naruto saw his eyelids turn orange. He dispelled the clone and suddenly looked at Fukasaku with the same eyes. They engaged in combat again and Fukasaku noted that Naruto lasted in Sage Mode for around twenty minutes. He said, "Well done, Naruto. I guess your training has come to an end. You will do well in battle using Sage Mode."

Naruto smiled and said, "Thanks a lot for teaching me, geezer toad! I really appreciate it. Now, before I go, I want to show you something." Fukasaku said, "What is it?" Naruto said, "Follow me." He looked at the clones and said, "Guys, you better go to the toad fountain and sit there. It will be easier for you. I'll need some nature energy in around ten minutes. One of you dispel at that time." The clones nodded and got up, heading to the oil fountain. Naruto led Fukasaku to a mountain, and the toad gasped, seeing all the furrows and holes in it. He said, "So, this is what you were doing when you were gone all the time, Naruto-boy?"

Naruto nodded. Just then, one of his clones dispelled and his eyelids turned orange again. He focused and a Shadow Clone appeared next to him. The original held out his right hand and formed a Rasengan. The clone started adding wind chakra to it until the orb had flattened out into a silver disc. It started to create a whining sound and Naruto's clone vanished. Naruto suddenly put his right shoulder back and then hurled the giant shuriken shaped orb straight into the mountain, saying, "SAGE ARTS: WIND STYLE RASENSHURIKEN!"

The shuriken shaped orb flew straight into the mountain and hit it, creating a giant hole in it. Fukasaku gasped and thought, 'He threw it! When did he learn to hurl chakra of such high density at such speeds?' He waited until the jutsu had died down and was amazed. He could see through the entire mountain! 'Amazing!'

He said, "You've really become very strong, Naruto. You will make an amazing shinobi." Naruto grinned and they returned to the oil fountain. Naruto gave his remaining clone orders regarding when he would need to dispel and then they returned to Fukasaku's house. Naruto's eyes went wide as he saw his spare orange uniforms slowly burning away, while a variety of beetles and bugs were roasting over it. He cried out, "My uniforms! What have you done, Lady Shima?!" The purple haired toad said, "I burnt them, as I most rightfully should have. That dreadful color cause my eyes to burn. I've stitched some new clothes for you. There they are."

Naruto fell to his knees, crying with exaggerated tears. "My wonderful uniform! How could you?" He stopped crying immediately as Lady Shima bonked him on the head with Fukasaku's stick and said, "Stop that stupid whining. Change into this one here, or I'll burn the one you're wearing as well." He blanched and said, "Okay, okay! I'll change it. But don't you dare touch this uniform!"

She said, "Alright, I won't touch it."

He changed into the uniform which she had made for him. It consisted of a jumpsuit very much like his, but completely in black. Over it was a red coat, which resembled the color of Jiraiya's jacket. Black flames licked the lower part of his coat. His uniform had black fingerless gloves, with metal pads on them. The Konoha leaf was inscribed on both of them. The kanji for oil was inscribed on his coat on the back in black. As soon as he was changed into the new uniform, Lady Shima jumped into the air, signing, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" She immediately spat a small ball of flames at Naruto's orange uniform, destroying it instantly. He howled in shock and then said, "You said you wouldn't do anything to it!"

She shook her head and said, "I agreed not to **touch **it." He stared daggers at her and Fukasaku sighed. He said, "I guess it's time to head back, Naruto-boy." Naruto looked at him and said sadly, "I guess it is." The two of them stood side by side and Lady Shima signed, "Ninja Arts: Reverse Summoning!" The three of them immediately were on top of Ninja Ops. Lady Shima bid Naruto goodbye, warning him never to wear an orange uniform again. Then Fukasaku and Naruto went down and reached the Hokage's office. Naruto knocked and Tsunade's voice said, "Come in."


	28. Chapter 28: Pein

**Author's Note: **Hey what's up guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for all you wonderful readers out there. A couple people asked me why Pein wasn't in the story yet, so I went ahead and drew up this intro for him. Hope you guys enjoy it, and Happy Reading!

**Chapter 28: Pein**

"The extraction of the Two Tails is complete."

A voice sounded through the cave. Yugito Nii's body fell to the ground with a muffled thump and all the Akatsuki members straightened up, stretching their backs, and groaning in various voices. Deidara said grumpily, "We really need to find some new members to fill up Sasori, Hidan and Kakuzu's positions. Extracting the tailed beasts is too tough for just the six of us."

Kisame nodded and said, "What about upgrading some of our members to ring status, Pein? Or at least your Acolytes?"

A man with purple eyes, with concentric rings around them looked at him. He shook his head and his holographic projection replied, "I cannot do that. To be able to extract the tailed beasts, it not only requires extreme focus, but also a large amount of chakra. And fine chakra control as well. None of our lower ranked members are able to do that as of now. And my Acolytes are not meant for use in this manner. They are my bodyguards, and specially focus on assassinations."

Kisame opened his mouth to retort, but Itachi cut across him smoothly, "However, the time to increase our strength is of essence. Between Sasori, Hidan and Kakuzu all dead, I would conclude that we are at our worst strength ever." Pein nodded and said, "Well deduced, Itachi. But of course, you were always the most intelligent of all of us. However, we need not worry. Once we have captured the Four Tails, I myself will find some new talent for us. Meanwhile, I have someone to introduce you to."

Everyone looked at him in apparent surprise or interest, and a new projection suddenly started appearing on top of one of the fingers of the Gedo Mazo. Everyone looked at the new appearance, and as the projection cleared, they all observed the new member carefully.

The newcomer wore an orange mask, and the standard Akatsuki robes. The person had short cropped hair, black in color. The mask had only one hole in it. A spiral design covered the mask, which looked as though it had belonged to an ANBU before it had been painted. The new arrival looked around and announced flippantly, "Hello, everyone!"

Everyone stared at him. Deidara said, annoyed, "Who is this joker?" The new guy announced, "My name is Tobi. I am the newest member of the Akatsuki! Woohoo!" Deidara stared at him as though Tobi was mad, and Pein said, "Tobi is Sasori's replacement, Deidara. He will be partnered with you."

Deidara's mouth fell open as Kisame sniggered. The clay artist said, "You've gotta be kidding me! I just met him a couple of seconds ago and I already want to kill him!" Pein smiled slightly and said, "That is why I assigned him to you. He doesn't die easily."

Deidara turned to look at Tobi with slightly more respect, and a little suspicion, and then asked Pein, "So, what's the plan of action, then?"

Pein replied, "I wish for the Three and Four Tails to be captured next. The Four Tails should not be a problem, considering we know where he is situated. However, he does have partial control over his Bijuu, so he might be tough to capture. But the real problem is the Three Tails. We have no location of the monster, nor does it have a Jinchuuriki. I will need to investigate further before we are able to capture it. I want Tobi and you to be on the lookout for the Three Tails. Itachi and Kisame, you will bring me the Four Tails."

The duo nodded, and their projections vanished. Deidara said, "So, where are you right now, Tobi?" Tobi said, "Tell me where you are. I can reach to you instantly." Deidara stared at him again. He thought, 'There must be more to this Tobi guy than I thought. I guess I should play along until I find out his true powers.' He finally replied, "I'm at the border of the Hidden Stone village, outside our hideout there."

Tobi nodded and said, "I'll be there in a few minutes." His projection disappeared as well. Pein said, "I know that he is a little immature, Deidara. However, he is an extremely capable ninja, and is of use to us. I would put his strength higher than Kakuzu and Hidan combined."

Deidara and the rest of the members stared at Pein, who said, "I must go now. I have important matters to attend to. You have your orders, everyone. Zetsu, come to my hideout. I wish to discuss something with you." Zetsu nodded, and disappeared. Konan also disappeared, and Deidara took a second to look around, before disappearing.

As Deidara came back to his own body, he opened his eyes to find Tobi standing right in front of him, almost nose to nose with him. He yelled in surprise and punched Tobi straight in the face.

"OWWW! What did you do that for?"

Deidara roared, "WHY WERE YOU STANDING IN MY FACE, THEN?"

Tobi rubbed his mask, pretending as though he were hurt, and said, "Geez, you're really mean, aren't you? I don't know how your previous partner put up with you." A vein twitched in Deidara's forehead and he said, "You better stop talking, or I'm gonna have to kill you."

Tobi laughed flippantly, and that was all that needed to set Deidara off. He threw a kunai at Tobi, who didn't even move. At the last moment, the kunai flew straight through Tobi's chest and hit the stone boulder behind him. Deidara stared in astonishment. Then he said, "That's why Pein said you couldn't die easily, huh?" Tobi nodded dryly and said, "Then we should get going, huh, Deidara?"

The artist retorted, "You're a hundred years too young to be giving me orders." Then he said, "We'll need to ask around for information regarding the Three Tails. Pein has his sources already. We will need to work with them in order to find the Three Tails." Tobi nodded enthusiastically and said, "Alright! Let's go!"

Itachi and Kisame walked towards the Hidden Stone village. Itachi said, "Now, how should we go about this, Kisame?" Kisame grinned and said, "Why are you asking me? I always follow you, after all." Itachi replied, "You know that I am getting weaker. I need to stop using my eyes so much. To be honest, I shouldn't have tested Sasuke as much as I did. It cost me far too much. I think you should take the Four Tails."

Kisame said, "You know, I've heard stories about this Four Tails Jinchuuriki. His name is Roshi, and he's said to use Lava Style. That is going to be tough to beat. And I heard that he left the Stone Village so that he could learn how to control the beast."

Itachi nodded grimly and said, "I will no doubt step in, if you need help. However, I think that your pride will not allow it, anyway. You'll just need to win somehow or the other. I guess Samehada will be of utmost use to you now." Kisame grinned and said, "Of course. My Samehada loves strong chakra. The Four Tails' chakra will be like a dessert for it." Itachi said, "Let's move quickly. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can reach back." Kisame said, "Any problem?"

Itachi said, "You know what I mean." Kisame understood and nodded. The two of them increased their pace.

Pein sat in his chair and the glow of his eyes died down. He fell asleep and sat still in his chair. Konan walked up to him and placed his arms comfortably so that he wouldn't fall. Then she walked up to the wall and pressed a button. The wall opened up and she went in. The wall closed behind her. Nagato looked at her and she said softly, "You've grown so weak, Nagato."

He smiled weakly at her and said, "This is just temporary. After we have accomplished our goal, I will be able to heal properly." She said sadly, "Why do you have to push yourself so much? Surely you can go ahead with your plan without using more than two of your bodies?"

Nagato coughed and shook his head. He said, "You know that I need to keep Yahiko's body as Pein. My Human and Naraka Paths are busy infiltrating the Hidden villages. I cannot afford to lose the Human Path right now, so the Naraka Path has to be with him to restore him."

Konan said, "Why didn't you send Zetsu to protect him?" Nagato coughed again, this time more violently. He said, "You know as well as I do, that Zetsu is not a fighter. He is of more use to us for information gathering. However, he cannot mingle with the crowds of a village like my Human Path can." She said with disappointment, "I had hoped that we would have at least some time together after capturing the Two Tails."

He reached over and squeezed her hand. She shuddered at how cold his hands were, but smiled at his determination. He said, "A few more months. That's all it will take and then we shall have no more interference."

Just then, Zetsu showed up in front of Pein's body. He said, "You called me?" Nagato focused his chakra, and Pein woke up. He said, "I wish for you to find Sasuke Uchiha." Zetsu looked at Pein in surprise and then nodded, saying, "May I know the reason?"

Pein said, "Sasuke's mind is still fragile. He still wants revenge against Itachi. However, the boy is a prodigy. It would be a waste if he died before we could use him in some way or the other." Zetsu nodded and said, "Is there anything else?"

Pein said, "No. You may go now. Contact Itachi before you leave, find out if he knows anything about Sasuke's current whereabouts." Zetsu nodded and left.

Nagato eased back again and said, "That was close." Konan nodded and suddenly, the air in front of them was sucked in, and Tobi appeared in front of them. Konan was startled, but Nagato didn't betray any emotions. Tobi said, "The other members are suspicious, Nagato. We must allay their suspicions quickly, or my disguise will be rendered useless."

Nagato and Konan bowed, saying, "Of course, Madara-sama."

Tsunade smiled and said, "Ah, Naruto and Lord Fukasaku. I see you've finished your training, Naruto. And how are you, Lord Fukasaku?" Fukasaku smiled and said, "I am well, Princess Tsunade. Although old age has finally started to catch up with me." Tsunade nodded and said, "I presume the training was a success?"

Fukasaku frowned and said, "Well, it depends on what you define success. Naruto certainly managed to enter Sage Mode. In fact, he's even surpassed Jiraiya. But…" Tsunade frowned at his tone and asked, "But what?"

Fukasaku said, "Naruto cannot fuse with me, because of his…furry little problem." The Nine Tails growled, and Naruto smirked. He said, "However, I've found a solution to that. In fact, I won't even need to summon Lord Fukasaku to fuse with me for entering Sage Mode." Tsunade leaned forward in interest and said, "Explain."

After they were done talking, Fukasaku said, "Well, I guess it's time for me to be leaving. Good luck, Naruto-boy." Tsunade and Naruto wished him farewell, and the old toad vanished. Tsunade suddenly said, "Naruto, I wanted to tell you something." Naruto looked at her in mild confusion and then said, "Oh, yeah. Pervy Sage had told me that you wanted to talk to me. What is it?"

Tsunade said, "According to my sources, and Jiraiya himself, Sasuke tried to kill Itachi Uchiha in an old Uchiha stronghold at the border of the Land of Fire. My sources reported that he nearly died, and that Itachi was able to escape, although he was hurt as well. He was being supported by Kisame Hoshigaki." Naruto clenched his fists in anger. He said, "I've had just about enough of this, Grandma Tsunade! I want to go and bring Sasuke back right now!"

Tsunade said, "Unfortunately, we cannot do that. Not only did Sasuke nearly die, he vanished from the scene a few hours later, obliterating his trail by blowing up the entire fort. We have no location of his whereabouts anymore."

Naruto thought in anger, 'If only Itachi would hurry up and die, I could bring Sasuke back.' He said, "Grandma, I want permission to hunt down Itachi Uchiha." Tsunade stared at him in confusion and then said, "No way. Itachi is the main reason I had you go away from the Leaf Village. I can't let you anywhere near him. Now, I want you to do something for me. Will you?"

Naruto said, "But I'm much stronger than Itachi by this point, Grandma. You know that as well as I do." Tsunade started getting annoyed and said, "You will never be stronger than Itachi. He possesses the Sharingan, which is the sole reason that he was able to help the Akatsuki out so much, in information gathering and in capturing the Tailed Beasts as well. You are no match for the Sharingan and I don't think you ever will be. Now shut up and listen to me."

Naruto grumbled but stayed quiet. Tsunade continued, "This absence of yours for three weeks did not go unnoticed by the village Elders. They have asked me to inform you that they wish to meet you personally, and talk to you." Naruto said, "What? But why?"

Tsunade frowned and said, "I don't know that either. I have tried my hardest to find out, but the geezers just don't budge. Anyway, this request is more of an indirect order. However, Naruto, I must ask you to remain on your best behavior while you are there. Please don't argue with them. And remain careful of Danzo. He will no doubt try something. Any hint of trouble and I want you out of there as soon as possible. Consider this as an A-Rank mission."

Naruto looked at her seriously and then said, "I see. I guess I'll have to comply, then. Where am I to meet the Elders?"

Tsunade said, "In interrogation room no. 7. They will be expecting you tomorrow morning at 10AM. Be careful, Naruto." Naruto nodded and then said, "Is that all, then? Coz I'm itching to have some ramen now." Tsunade face palmed and said, "Don't you feel you should meet Ino before that?"

Naruto grinned and said, "Oh, you don't need to worry about that. Ino won't be mad at me. Besides, once I meet her, I won't have any time for ramen." He winked and she blushed slightly at the implications of that statement. She said, "Get lost, you pervert."

He vanished, and she thought, 'Geez, he's becoming as bad as Jiraiya. Thinking of which, where is that old fool?" Just then, an ANBU member reported in, and saluted. She said, "What is it?"

The ANBU member replied, "Master Jiraiya has sent a message. Here it is." He handed over the piece of paper to her and saluted again, before vanishing. Tsunade read the scrawl of writing and thought, 'What business could Jiraiya have at Tanzaku Town? Oh well. I guess I just have to wait for him to come back."

Naruto finished his nineteenth bowl of ramen and sighed in satisfaction. Teuchi smiled at him and said, "You've not eaten this much ramen in a long time, Naruto. Everything alright?" Naruto winked at him and said, "I'm not gonna be able to eat this much ramen for some time now. So I figured I should eat as much as I can right now." Teuchi nodded and said, "So, do you want another bowl?" Naruto shook his head, yawning, "No, I guess this is all I can eat right now. Thanks a lot, old man. Here's the money."

Naruto left Ichiraku's and headed home. He decided to walk, to help digest all the ramen he had eaten. He reached home and saw Kurumi, the receptionist, writing something. She looked up and smiled, blushing a little. She said, "Welcome back, Naruto-kun! I haven't seen you for a while now! Where were you?" He scratched his head and replied, "Oh, I was off training." She nodded and said, "Ino-san isn't at home right now. She's off training with her team." Naruto said, "Thanks for the tip. I was hoping to meet her now, but I guess I can wait for a while."

He left, and walked up the stairs. Suddenly, a door burst open on the sixth floor and a cat came running out of it. A man followed, brandishing a knife in his hand. He shouted, "You better stay away from this house, or you're gonna be sorry!" Then he noticed Naruto and said, "Sorry about that. That cat keeps coming to my house and stealing my food." Naruto said, "Do you want me to get rid of it?" The man said, "But how would you do that? And anyway, I can't ask a stranger to do things for me." Naruto said, "It's alright. I'm a ninja. And it is my Ninja Way to help out people however I can." The man smiled and said, "Thanks a lot. However, the cat has gone." Naruto looked around and then said, "I see. I'll find it and put it away somewhere, maybe in a pet shop or something." The man replied, "Really, there's no need to…"

Naruto said, "Don't worry. It will be like training for me. So it's really not a problem." The man thanked him again and went into his house. Naruto sat down in the corridor and started meditating. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes, sensing the displacement of nature energy where the cat had just travelled from. It was a block away, curling up in an alley. He shunshined outside the building, and entered the alley. Faster than the human eye could see, he caught the cat by the neck. It froze in his hand and he thought, "Where should I put this cat now?" Then he remembered that he had seen a pet store, a couple of blocks away from Iguromo's shop. He headed there and gave the cat to the owner of that shop, who thanked him profusely for bringing in such a fine looking specimen.

Naruto decided to restock his kunai and shurikens from Iguromo. He entered the shop and bumped his chin straight into someone's head. The person in question rubbed their head and said, "Watch it, will you!"

Naruto's temper flew and he began to shout, "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE…" Just then, he saw the person who he was busy shouting at, and his mouth fell open. He said, "Sasame? Is that you?" Sasame looked up to see Naruto's face and she smiled happily. "Naruto!" She hugged him. He just stood there, confused, and she finally broke apart from him, saying, "It's been so long! You've changed so much!"

He looked at her and said, "I could say the same. You used to look like a boy. You even pretended to be a boy. What happened to you?" He checked her out, recording her figure instantly, '30C – 24 – 32.' Sasame had changed a lot from the last time he had seen her. Gone was the mask and the boyish outfit. She now wore a short style pale pink shozoku which ended at her waist, and bicycle shorts underneath. She had become quite a bit taller as well, although still on the short side. She said, "You've become quite handsome, Naruto!"

He smiled sheepishly and said, "Thanks. What are you doing here, Sasame?" She said, "Don't you know? My clan was asked to join the Land of Snow, to increase its defence. But I asked to be transferred here, and Lady Tsunade allowed me to join. They put me to the test just two days ago, and according to them, I passed with flying colors. So, I'm a Leaf shinobi now!"

Naruto suddenly noticed the headband on her left arm's sleeve and nodded. He said, "So, whose team are you in?" Sasame said, "I don't know yet. I haven't been assigned any team right now." Naruto said, "Well, best of luck for whichever team you get!" She smiled and said, "Thanks a lot, Naruto. Well, I gotta get going, Lady Tsunade has called me in today. Maybe we'll meet again for some dinner or something?" He nodded and she practically bounced off towards Ninja Ops. He thought, 'What's up with her?' He turned to Iguromo, who was smiling, and said, "Give me a dozen kunai and shuriken, please, Iguromo-san."

As he walked out of Iguromo's shop, Naruto saw Ino heading home. He smiled and thought, 'Time to surprise Ino.' He watched her carefully as she walked, and waited for the opportune moment. As she passed by an alley, a hand pulled her in. She squealed in surprise and another hand covered her mouth. She looked up to see Naruto smiling at her. She smiled back and said, "Where are you, Naruto?" He looked at her in confusion and said, "What do you mean, Ino-chan?"

Ino smiled sweetly and said, "I know that you are a Shadow Clone. Where is the real you?" Naruto grumbled, "How did you know?" She replied, "I can sense the tension in your body, the way you were high on adrenaline while going along with Naruto's plan. And you don't have the authentic Naruto feel. Where is he?"

The clone said, "I don't know. He summoned me at Iguromo's and then gave me my orders. Then he vanished." Ino said, "Well, then. Let him know that he's missing this if he doesn't show up right away." She suddenly kissed the clone straight on the mouth, before breaking apart and punching him in the gut, hard. The surprised clone exploded and a voice echoed from a block away, "HEY!"

Ino smiled, "Got him."

A second later, Naruto and Ino were in the alley, kissing furiously. Ino said, "How did you like my method of finding you?" Naruto said fiercely, "You are mine. Don't ever kiss my clones again!" Ino smiled and said, "But I thought that your clones are you, aren't they?" He shook his head and said, "Every clone of mine has a different personality. They are part of me, but not really me. They are like different people who look like me and possess my abilities."

Ino wondered about this and Naruto said, "Wanna head home to continue?" She nodded and a second later, they were at their home. Their antics continued until evening.

Jiraiya said, "I thought you weren't due here until tomorrow."

A voice said, "I have news." Jiraiya looked at him in surprise and with a little interest. He said, "Is something wrong?"

The man in the black cloak looked back at him and said, "Pein just inducted a person named Tobi into the Akatsuki, without taking the test. I wonder who this person is. He must have been strong if he was inducted so easily. He behaves like an immature person, but he didn't fool my eyes. I could make out that Pein himself was talking rather carefully about him, like as though he didn't want to insult the person even by mistake."

Jiraiya pondered over that and said, "Who could this mysterious man be?" The Akatsuki informant said, "I have absolutely no idea as of now. But I sure intend to find out." The sage asked, "How long are you planning to remain undercover? I think it's high time you came back. We will need you soon."

The man shook his head and said, "I am of more use undercover, Master Jiraiya. I can help taking out the Akatsuki from the inside. Also, I am working on finding something. I won't say what it is now, but it is worth remaining undercover for." Jiraiya said, "Well, I guess you know what you're doing. Anyway, if that's all, I better get going. There are some lovely ladies around just waiting to become my subjects for research." The informant gave him a small smile and then said, "I see you haven't changed."

Jiraiya laughed and said, "Me? Never." They parted ways and Jiraiya started heading back to town. Just then, the man turned and said, "Jiraiya san. I just remembered. I've just been tasked to hunt one of the Jinchuurikis. I'll try to delay it as much as I can of course. But I expect that Naruto will be the next target after this. Make sure you keep him as far away from me as you can." Jiraiya turned back and said, "Thanks for the information. I'll see what I can do."

Once Jiraiya reached town, he took out his cellular and hit number one on his speed dial. The phone rang twice before connecting. "What is it, Jiraiya? And mind explaining why you've been to Tanzaku Town?"

Jiraiya smiled, and said, "Always so angry, Tsunade. You might just succumb to it one day." She said angrily, "I don't plan on dying soon. And why did you call?" Jiraiya said seriously, "I met **him** just now." Tsunade's voice sounded through the phone and said, "What? But I thought you weren't supposed to meet him until next month!"

Jiraiya said, "I know. But he scheduled it. It was urgent. And I've got some news." She said, "What news?" The pervert sage said, "It's too confidential to say on the phone. I'll be back tomorrow morning. We'll talk then. Is everything alright in the village?"

Tsunade said, "Well, the village is normal as usual. Naruto's returned from Mount Myoboku." Jiraiya said, "Oh, good. I'm looking forward to sparring with him to test out his strength. I'm pretty sure he's surpassed me already." Tsunade said, "There is some odd news. The village Elders summoned Naruto to speak to him."

Jiraiya frowned, "Why? What do they want with him? They've always ignored him until now." Tsunade said, "I know, but I would wager it is something about him becoming an adult." Jiraiya said, "Oh, right. It's only a week to his birthday. Well, I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow then. I've gotta go now, there are some really lovely ladies waiting for me." Tsunade sighed and said, "Good grief. I don't want to hear about this. Bye." She hung up and Jiraiya went back to his research.

The next day, Naruto woke up early, remembering his meeting with the Elders. He looked to his right to see Ino sleeping soundly and smiled. He got out of bed and went to get freshened up. Just then a knock on the door diverted his attention and he went to take the door. He opened the door and was surprised to see…

"Sakura?"

Sakura smiled and said, "Hi. I hope I didn't wake you up too early, Naruto." He said, "Not really, I woke up a few minutes ago. What are you doing here, anyway?" Sakura said, "I was told to tell you that I will be escorting you to the Interrogation Chamber 11 today, at 10AM." Naruto frowned and said, "I thought it was Interrogation Chamber 7." Sakura nodded and said, "They've changed it. I thought you should know, because Interrogation Chamber 11 is highly sound proof and has various seals over it. So anyone entering the chamber is highly restricted while they are inside." Naruto stared at her stunned, and said, "Why would they do something like this? Are they taking my trial or something?"

Sakura also frowned slightly and said, "I don't know. But even Lady Tsunade is not allowed to oversee the meeting. I think something serious is up, Naruto. You will have to be extremely careful. Come on, get dressed, I need to link you up with some wireless comms. I'll wait in the hall."

Naruto got dressed and Ino woke up. She came out of the bedroom into the hall wearing nothing at all, and yawned. "What's with all the ruckus, Naruto?" Naruto turned red as he realized that Sakura could see Ino right now. If he was red right now, then it was nothing compared to the color on Sakura's face. Ino suddenly realized that Sakura was standing in the hall, staring at the two blondes, and came to her senses with a jolt. She quickly shunshined back into her room, and came back out wearing one of Naruto's night-shirts.

"Hey Sakura, what are you doing here so early?"

Sakura just stared at her. Ino suddenly became self - conscious and said, "What? Why are you just staring at me like this?"

Naruto went to his own room to get his kunai pouches and Sakura closed in on Ino. She whispered, "So you and Naruto…"

Ino laughed and said, "Grow up, Sakura. We aren't children anymore. We're fully fledged ninjas now. And I gotta tell you, it's well worth it. Naruto is amazing. He's so bi…" Sakura blushed deeply again and said, "Stop it. I don't wanna know, alright!"

Ino laughed again, and Naruto came back, strapping his kunai pouches to his legs. He said, "What time do we leave, Sakura? If it isn't too late, I wanna get some ramen before I get there." Sakura looked at her watch and said, "Well, there's still some time before we leave. So I guess you can have your ramen. Maybe I'll have some diet ramen too."

Ino said, "You still haven't told me what you're doing here, forehead." Sakura frowned slightly at the old nickname, but replied, "Well, to put it bluntly, I'm Naruto's bodyguard today." Ino stared at her and she continued, "Lady Tsunade is not allowed to oversee Naruto's meeting with the Elders. So she's sent me as a stand - in for her. That reminds me, Naruto. Take this mic and attach it to the inside of your uniform coat." Naruto took the mic and attached it to his jumpsuit vest, hiding it behind his coat. Ino looked at him and said, "Naruto, be careful. And don't go shouting at the Elders now." Naruto grinned and said, "Don't worry, Ino, I got this." Ino sighed and thought, 'That's what I'm worried about.'

The two team-mates left the house and Ino started getting dressed up. Naruto and Sakura headed to Ichiraku's and she said, "So, how's things? We haven't met for a while, Naruto." He looked at her in confusion before remembering that he had been gone for a whole month. He nodded and said, "I had gone to Mount Myoboku for training in Sage Mode."

Sakura frowned and asked, "What is Sage Mode?" He began explaining the concept to her and by the time he was done, they had reached Ichiraku's. Naruto's eyes suddenly bulged and Sakura looked in the direction he was facing, only to find…

"WHY IS IT CLOSED?" Naruto bawled hysterically.

Sakura shushed him quickly and said, "Surely there must be a problem. Let's check it out." He nodded and they went around to the back of the shop. They saw the windows of the shop as well as the back door closed. Naruto said, "Something is definitely not right. Old man Teuchi has never closed his windows before."

Sakura said, "Maybe he went off somewhere." Naruto was beginning to think the same, but just then, a sound came from inside the shop. Naruto's ears picked up the sound immediately. He said, "Sakura, there's someone inside."

Sakura immediately signed quickly and said quietly, "Ninja Arts: Five Sense Augmentation!" The minor GenJutsu she activated caused all of her senses to become extremely sensitive and she said, "Naruto, please don't speak in more than a whisper. My ears are highly sensitive right now, so any normal voice will sound like extreme shouting to me." Naruto nodded and whispered, "How do we go about this? I don't want to damage the shop in the slightest."

Sakura said, "I'll pick the lock of the back door." Naruto stared at her and she said "What?" He whispered, "You can pick locks?"

Sakura nearly fell through the ground at the mundane question. Then she suddenly realized that he was not there when the extra training for the Leaf ninjas had been taken. She said, "Almost every ninja of Chunin or higher rank can pick locks, Naruto. We had some special training a couple of years ago, after you had left the village." Naruto nodded and looked down, whispering, "So, one more thing I'm behind on than the rest of my class." Sakura said, "No, Shino and Lee didn't learn too. Shino uses his bugs to open locks and Lee wasn't able to learn, because he was on a mission at that time."

Naruto whispered, "Okay okay, let's get on with this. I have to go for the meeting, remember?" She nodded and quickly picked the lock on the backdoor. Once they were in, she quickly put her hands to her ears. Then she signed to indicate that there were footsteps going around the shop. Naruto put up his fingers in the Shadow Clone Jutsu hand sign and shrugged. She correctly interpreted his action and nodded. A single shadow clone spawned next to Naruto silently. He transformed into a rat and went into the kitchen.

Suddenly, the clone dispelled and Naruto received his memories. He stood with a laugh and whispered, "Release your GenJutsu, Sakura." Sakura signed and the GenJutsu was released. Then she said, "What is it, Naruto? What did your clone tell you?"

Naruto said, "Old man Teuchi is sick. He's walking around inside, trying to do all his stuff, but he's coughing all the time and not as fast as usual. Ayame isn't around anywhere." Sakura nodded and the two of them entered the kitchen. Naruto said, "Hey old man, why didn't you open up the shop?"

Teuchi looked back in surprise and croaked, "Naruto? How did you get in?"

Naruto replied, "We saw the shop closed and got suspicious, so Sakura picked the lock of the backdoor. I sent a shadow clone to investigate and his memories showed me that you were sick."

Teuchi nodded and wheezed, "I'm not feeling up to making ramen today. I'm pretty bad right now. Ayame even worse. She wasn't even able to get out of bed today." Sakura quickly went over to him and put her hands on his shoulder. A green glow emitted out of her hands, and Teuchi suddenly straightened up. He said, "Wow, I feel much better now. Thank you, Sakura!" She smiled cheerfully at him and then looked at the clock on the wall. She gasped and said, "Naruto, it's nearly time! We need to be there in a couple of minutes!" Naruto looked at the clock too and face palmed. He caught her hand and said, "Hold on!" She slightly blushed at the sudden contact but held on to his hand. The two of them suddenly vanished and Teuchi thought, 'Where the hell does Naruto vanish off to all the time? I wanted to ask Sakura to heal Ayame too. Oh well. Maybe later."

Naruto and Sakura suddenly appeared on the roof of Ninja Ops and Naruto raced down the stairs. Sakura blinked at the sudden change in the surrounding and thought, 'How the hell did we get here? Never mind, I gotta get going.' She raced after Naruto. They reached the bottom of the Ops building and descended down the secret route below the building at top speed. They reached the interrogation room 11 just a minute before the scheduled meeting time. Sakura said, "Good luck Naruto." He said, "You're not coming in?"

She replied, "No, I can't. I'll be waiting outside, listening in through this receiver. Go, quick." He entered the room and looked in with surprise.


	29. Chapter 29: The Knucklehead VS The Elder

Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter, busy with exams. Goes to show how much I love you guys. :) Leave a review if you like, and Happy Reading!

**Chapter 29: The Knucklehead VS The Elder**

Naruto was surprised to see no one inside. He went to the chair in the middle of the room and sat. Suddenly, the village Elders appeared before him. He realized that they were sitting there but he couldn't see them because they had shielded themselves until now.

Danzo stared at the Jinchuuriki with distaste. Homura looked at Naruto with a small smile on his face, while Koharu kept her face neutral. Naruto looked at the Elders with a neutral expression of his own and said, "To what do I owe this…honor?"

Koharu spoke, "Where have you been for the last month?"

Naruto replied, "I was training in Sage Mode at Mount Myoboku."

Danzo's left eye widened in disbelief. Homura leaned in with a little interest and Koharu said, "Explain."

Naruto said, "There ain't much to explain. Per... I mean, Jiraiya-sensei has been wanting me to learn Sage Jutsu for a long time now. Due to the Akatsuki wanting to capture me, Lady Tsunade thought it would be a good idea to let me learn the technique. So I went off to the Toad clan in Mount Myoboku and learned Sage Jutsu from there."

Danzo said, "And how adept are you in Sage Jutsu?" Naruto puffed his chest out and said proudly, "Lord Fukasaku, that's the Elder toad who taught me, said that I had become a perfect Sage."

The three Elders were totally taken aback by this sudden development. Danzo could not believe his ears, and the other two were quite amazed. Homura thought, 'So, the boy has shown promise after all.' He said, "Naruto, we have decided to keep you confined to the village until the threat of the Akatsuki is no more."

Naruto stared at him in disbelief and said, "Say what? What do you mean, keep me confined to the village?" Koharu said, "As strong as you may be now, you are no match for the Akatsuki. We cannot risk you getting captured by them. So, you are to remain in the village at all times now." Naruto began to feel the anger rise inside him but maintained his composure nevertheless.

He said, "With all due respect, I don't feel that keeping me confined in the village is going to save me if the Akatsuki come bursting through. You know the strength they have. They even have Itachi Uchiha, one of the best spies and ninjas the Leaf has ever produced. If they want to kidnap me, they can do it at any old time. In fact, if I remain on the move all the time, it will help throw them off the track."

Koharu pondered over this and Danzo thought, 'The boy has promise. I could…'

But what he could exactly, no one would know, since Homura said, "It doesn't matter. The Leaf village is strong enough to protect you. You must remain in the village until the Akatsuki is finished."

Naruto said, "I don't have a problem with that. However, you should realize that you don't have any authority to confine me to the village. That is the sole right of the Hokage and I'm pretty sure that she would agree with me." Danzo's eye narrowed with contempt and he said, "Princess Tsunade is weak and selfish. She has made many errors in her past and will continue to do so. This is the reason that I had the meeting arranged in this room. I will not allow you to leave until you take a Blood Oath stating that you will not leave the village."

Naruto growled, "I'll do no such thing." Danzo said, "Well, then. It seems that we have an altercation." Koharu and Homura gazed at the two of them and decided to stay out of this. Danzo said, "It seems that you cannot be persuaded by normal means."

Suddenly, Naruto started feeling a little light headed. He heard Danzo's voice in his head, saying, "Take the Blood Oath. Do it, for the sake of village." Naruto's eyes went blank and he repeated, "For the village."

Koharu and Homura looked at him in confusion, but Naruto continued to to repeat the same words over and over. Then he took off his coat and shirt of his jumpsuit. He cut his thumb open with his canines and was just about to inscribe the kanji for Honor on his heart when…

The Kyuubi suddenly roared in Naruto's psyche and the confused teen turned to face him. Naruto said, "What's wrong with you?"

The Kyuubi growled, "**What the hell is wrong with you, baka? Are you really falling under Danzo's control so easily? After you were able to wrestle control away from me, the Kyuubi, you're going to give up your control to that second rate traitor?**"

Naruto said, "What do you mean? I'm not under his control." The Kyuubi said, "**You idiot. Can't you see that you've just bitten you own thumb to draw blood! You're going to take a Blood Oath right now!**"

The teen looked outside his psyche to realize that the Kyuubi was right. He couldn't control himself however, it was as though his hands were moving on their own. He went back in the psyche and said, "What do I do now?"

The Kyuubi retorted, "**Danzo is using one of the Sharingan techniques to subdue you. He's using the Kotoamatsukami. Fortunately, I have seen that technique before. If you relinquish your control over me for a minute, I can get free of it.**"

Naruto laughed and said, "Do you think I'm that big of a fool? I'm never gonna let you take control." The Kyuubi said, "**Whatever. I'm just trying to save you. If you die, I die, after all. But if you want it this way, you can have it.**" Naruto pondered over that and said, "Will you promise not to harm anyone?"

The Nine Tails said, "**You're in no position to bargain, idiot.**" Naruto said, "Oh, but I think I am. If I die, you die, after all. You said it yourself." The fox said, "**Don't be a smartass. Alright, just this once, I won't harm anyone.**" Naruto smiled and gave up his control.

Outside his psyche, as Naruto was about to put his thumb to his heart, suddenly he stopped. Danzo continued prodding him, but Naruto suddenly looked up and smiled viciously. The Elders saw that his eyes had gone red. Koharu and Homura scrambled back, and Naruto spoke to Danzo, "**Trying to force the boy into taking the Blood Oath, are you? I never thought you would use that cursed eye for something so mundane.**"

Koharu and Homura looked in confusion at the teen and then at Danzo. Koharu said, "What is the meaning of this? What is the child talking about, Danzo?" Danzo said, "I see you've taken control, Kyuubi." The Kyuubi laughed and said, "**Not really. You see, I've seen the Kotoamatsukami before, and I know how to get rid of it. That cursed Sharingan doesn't work on someone whose willpower is greater than it. I just don't want the kid to be influenced by a traitor like you. I couldn't care less about the brat.**"

Both the other Elders stared at Danzo, who unwrapped his right eye and revealed a red eye with a four pin wheel design. He said, "So, you know about the Kotoamatsukami, do you? I never should have wasted my chakra on something like that. It was stupid on my part. But whatever I'm doing, I'm doing for the sake of the village."

The two Elders looked at him in amazement and Koharu said, "I've seen that eye before. It belonged to Shisui Uchiha. How do you possess it, Danzo?" The old Sharingan wielder replied without hesitation, "Shisui himself gave it to me, before he committed suicide. You see, he knew the potential of his eyes and relied on me to use it the same way he did. And Shisui worked for the Root Foundation after all."

Naruto/Kyuubi laughed and said, "**Lies.**"

The Elders looked at him again in surprise and he continued, "**That traitor stole Shisui Uchiha's right eye and would have done the same with the left if Shisui hadn't managed to escape. You see, Danzo, somehow, I can somehow see memories of the Sharingan eye which you possess. Shisui was quite clever, leaving behind a trace like that. I can see right now that you stole his right eye, after which he seems to have disappeared. Too bad you couldn't get his left eye. The full power of the Kotoamatsukami is only unleashed when both the eyes belong to the same person.**"

Danzo got up from his chair and said, "It seems that this is going to be quite a nuisance. I must say, I was rather surprised when the boy let the fox take control over him. I guess he's too weak to control the demon."

Naruto riled up, but Kyuubi said to him, "**Don't get angry. It's what he wants. You see, your anger automatically influences my will onto you. And I feed off anger. If you get angry, I won't control myself. Not like I care or anything, but I would rather not destroy the village.**" Naruto calmed down slightly but looked at Danzo in hatred.

Danzo had now finished unwrapping his right hand from the bandages that had always covered them. Koharu and Homura stared at the arm in surprise and Koharu said, "Danzo, that's…" Danzo smiled and said, "It seems that the boy won't give up without a fight, eh? Don't worry, I have a few tricks to control you, Kyuubi."

Danzo's right hand was completely grey in color. But the astonishing fact was that the entire arm seemed to be covered in Sharingans.

The Nine Tails snarled inside Naruto's psyche, and the boy asked him, "What's the matter, Kyuubi? You afraid of that old geezer?" Kyuubi snorted and replied, "**As if. But he possesses the cells of the Shodai in his right hand. As you know, the First Hokage was the only one who could control me without using the Sharingan. And since I'm inside of you, Danzo cannot control me with his Sharingan, but the Wood Style in his right arm can.**"

Naruto pondered over that. Just then, Sakura burst in and shouted, "Don't you dare touch Naruto, you traitor!" Everyone looked at the new arrival in surprise and Koharu said, "How did you…"

Sakura pointed to the transmitter in her hands and said, "Lady Tsunade suspected that something was up when you didn't allow her to oversee the meeting. She told me to hide a mic in Naruto's uniform, which would allow me to hear everything." Koharu nodded and said, "Call Tsunade right away. We have a situation here now." Sakura substituted herself for Homura and picked up Koharu.

The female Elder shouted, "What is the meaning of this? Put me down!" Sakura shunshined next to the door, and said, "Sorry, I must help Naruto. Please inform Lady Tsunade of the situation. I'll help Naruto hold off Danzo." Koharu nodded and left the room along with Homura.

Danzo smiled and said, "Do you honestly think you can hold me off by yourselves?" Naruto went back into his psyche and said, "Kyuubi, get lost now. This is my fight. I don't want you trying to influence me." The demon growled and said, "**You better watch your tone, kid. Or else, I might just kill Sakura here right now.**"

Naruto forced control back to himself and said to Danzo, "You might just be underestimating us. We're part of Team 7, the most unpredictable team in the world." In spite of the dire situation, Sakura couldn't help but smile.

Danzo said, "Well, in that case, what are you waiting for?"

Naruto said, "Well, if yo want to get beat up so bad, I don't have a problem doing it right NOW!" He charged towards Danzo and started unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks at the old Elder. However, Shisui's eye was able to predict them all, and Danzo simply avoided all of them. The Kyuubi riled up, not having liked being forced out of control by Naruto. Danzo tried to land a punch of his own, and was surprised to see Naruto get hit by it. Naruto flew back into the wall of the Interrogation Chamber, and Sakura pulled him out of it. She said, "What happened?"

Naruto said, "The stupid fox is irritating me." Sakura nodded and the two of them went back into their team stance. Danzo waited for the two of them to attack, but none of them moved. Just then, Tsunade burst in and said, "What the hell is going on in here? What is the meaning of this, Danzo?"

Danzo spoke in a grave voice, "Better keep out of this, Princess Tsunade. I will not allow Naruto to leave this village." Tsunade said, "What the hell are you thinking, Danzo? It is not up to you to see who stays in the village and who doesn't."

Danzo replied, "I am doing this for the sake of the village. As you should be doing, but you are too foolish and weak to do so." Tsunade's eyebrow twitched and then she said, "You traitor. You stole the Sharingans from the Uchiha clan. And you no doubt obtained the cells of my grandfather from Orochimaru, did you not?"

Danzo was slightly surprised to find out that she knew that, but said, "Yes, I did. And they have proved to be extremely useful in controlling the multiple Sharingans. After all, only the Senjus could ever keep the Uchihas in check."

Naruto was getting even more frustrated by this talking and charged in again. This time, Danzo's attention was divided between Naruto and Tsunade, so Shisui's eye could not keep up, and Naruto managed to land a punch on Danzo's back.

Danzo fell forward, but quickly substituted himself for Tsunade and Naruto just stopped short of decimating her with a Rasengan. With fury in his blue eyes, he said, "You would sacrifice anyone, even the Hokage, and still say that it is for the sake of the village? You make me sick."

Tsunade also stared daggers at Danzo, who said, "I will do whatever needs to be done." Tsunade began to speak, but Naruto said, "Grandma Tsunade, I'm going to smack some sense into this traitor right now." She said, "Naruto, as much as I would like you to do that, you can't. Danzo is the head of the Root. If he is killed, the entire Root foundation would be affected. And much as I hate to say it, we need the Root. Without it, the Leaf village would be answerable for a lot of things that they have covered up well."

Danzo nodded, and that riled up Naruto even more. He said, "I don't care. To think that this guy would put you at danger just for what he thinks is right, that's unacceptable. I'm gonna make him pay, no matter what the consequences."

Just then, a voice came from the entrance and said, "I couldn't agree more." Everyone looked at the person and it turned out to be Homura. He said, "Danzo is a traitor to the Leaf. He desecrated the tombs of the Uchiha clan, and also underwent illegal operations with Orochimaru. He cannot be allowed to live. Furthermore, he tried to use Kotoamatsukami against a fellow member of the Leaf village. I fully support Naruto right now."

Tsunade said, "But what about the…" Homura held up his hand, and Tsunade fell silent. Homura said, "I have a person in mind who can at least temporarily manage the Root Foundation." She said, "Well, then. Looks like it's finally time for you to retire, Danzo. Permanently." Danzo grimaced and got into a fighting stance.

Tsunade took off her green overcoat and began to get ready to fight as well, but Naruto said, "Grandma Tsunade, there's no need for you to get involved in this. I'm going to kill him myself." She began to argue but then realized that he could fight Danzo now, being as strong as he was.

Naruto quickly shunshined next to Sakura, and whispered, "Hold my hand." She blushed slightly at the directness of the statement and said, "What for?" He said, "Just do it." She held his hand, and the next instant, they shunshined behind Danzo. He barely could register a look of surprise on his face, before Naruto put his left hand on Danzo's shoulder, and the trio vanished. Tsunade thought, 'Now, where the hell did he take Danzo?'

Homura blinked; he had just seen three people vanish in front of his eyes. He looked at Tsunade with an intense stare, and asked, "Where is he?"

Tsunade said, "No idea, but good that he did. I don't want half the village to be destroyed in their battle as it is. I forgot, but we're under Ninja Ops."

Homura nodded.

Danzo suddenly found himself in a clearing and demanded, "How did you do that?" Naruto smirked and said, "Well, since you're gonna die anyway, I don't see the reason to tell you that." Danzo grimaced and said, "I'm not going down that easily."

Sakura said, "Isn't this the clearing where we trained, Naruto?" He nodded, and she asked, "How did we get here?" He said, "All in good time, Sakura."

She frowned, but shrugged nevertheless, and the two of them faced Danzo again. He quickly signed and said, "Ninja Arts: Summoning Jutsu!"

Sakura and Naruto stared at the cloud of smoke that had just gone up. They looked up in the sky and a figure emerged through the smoke. It was…

"A Chimera?!" Sakura gasped.

The Chimera looked at them with a fierce intensity in its eyes. It was orange in color, with bandages on its head, and a huge trunk, with armor on its base. It had tiger like legs, and was huge.

Naruto said, "Whoa, that's a big summon. I doubt even the Chief is as big as this one." Danzo said, "There is no summon bigger than Baku in the entire world. Prepare to meet your demise. I had hoped that we could come to a peaceful negotiation, but it seems like that's not possible."

Naruto growled and said, "If you think that this beast is going to kill us, you've got another thing coming." He began to sign, but Baku suddenly opened his mouth and a huge vacuum of air started getting sucked in. Naruto was barely able to maintain his balance, and looked at Sakura, amazed to see her calmly standing as though nothing was happening.

He said, "How are you standing still so easily, Sakura?" She replied, "I've boosted my leg muscles with chakra. I don't feel any pull." He considered that and said, "Good going, but just staying still is not going to help us win this fight, you know." She nodded, and Naruto started to come up with a plan. However, Danzo jumped up on Baku's head and signed quickly. He said, "Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Wave!"

A huge wave of wind flew across the clearing, and Baku stopped sucking in the wind, so that the wave of wind hit Naruto squarely in the chest. He gasped and flew backwards into a cluster of trees. Sakura shouted, "NARUTO!" but Baku took a giant leap and landed in front of her before she could move to help the knucklehead. She considered her options, and decided to go for the simplest one. She ducked under a giant swipe of Baku's and picked him up with her bare arms. Her muscles started straining and veins popped out of them. Danzo stared in astonishment as Sakura managed to throw Baku to the opposite direction.

'She's so strong! She's just like Princess Tsunade! I've got to be more careful around her.' Danzo thought. Naruto came back into the clearing, shaking his head to clear it and coughed, "Wow, that jutsu hit me really hard." Sakura heaved a sigh of relief that nothing much had happened to him, apart from his clothing tearing, and said, "Come on. We have to hit them before Danzo can get that beast up again."

But before they could do that, Baku was up again, and was snarling furiously. Danzo stood atop him, and had started signing again. Baku extended his trunk, and the two teens braced themselves, digging their feet into the ground. But when the wind came, it started pushing them back, rather than pulling them in. This totally came as a surprise to the two, and they were pushed back quite a bit, before they could stabilize. Danzo finished his hand signs and said, "Wind Style: Giant Breakthrough!"

Three gusts of sharpened wind chakra flew across the clearing at top speed, amplified by the wind of Baku. Naruto and Sakura paled, as the jutsu bore down on them. At the last moment, Naruto signed in full speed and shouted, "Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

A huge wall of earth came up from the ground, and protected the two of them from the gusts of wind. As the last gust hit the wall, it crumbled into pieces. Danzo stared in astonishment at Naruto, thinking, 'Where did he learn this jutsu? I thought he knows only the Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Rasengan, along with the Summoning Jutsu! Can he have learnt it recently? Or did Princess Tsunade not give me his original report when I asked for it yesterday?' But he had no time to think, as Sakura was bearing down on Baku with a muscle boosted punch. He barely had time to register what had happened before he felt Baku flying behind by the sheer strength of the punch.

Baku snorted in agitation, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Danzo fell onto the ground, and Naruto charged in with a Rasengan. Danzo signed thrice, and Naruto connected with the Fourth Hokage's jutsu, before Danzo could do anything else. The traitor was blasted into the ground by the force of the attack and Sakura looked at the huge hole created with a look of astonishment. Naruto emerged from the hole and said, "That went easier than I thought." Sakura started to nod, before shouting, "WATCH OUT!"

Naruto turned around just in time to avoid Danzo's kunai, which was aimed at his neck. He countered with a kick of his own, sending Danzo flying behind. The old man retreated for a while, and Sakura reached Naruto. Naruto, surprised, said, "What the heck? I thought I got him!"

Sakura nodded and said, "I thought that too. But just as you started walking over to me, I saw a shadow behind you. It turned into Danzo and he aimed that kunai at you. I don't know how, but it seems like he did something just before you hit him with the Rasengan. He signed thrice."

Naruto frowned as he remembered that. Danzo started a long string of signs and both the teens faced him again. Danzo took a huge breath and exhaled, shouting, "Wind Style: Vacuum Blast!"

A sharp line of wind extended from Danzo's mouth, aimed towards Naruto, who quickly jumped to the right. But the wind followed him and quickly grazed his right shoulder. He managed to avoid the rest of the attack and stared at Danzo with a little bit of respect. His shoulder started healing instantly.

Sakura started trying to land a hit on Danzo, but with Shisui's Sharingan, there was no use trying to hit him. Just then, Danzo felt a slight draft of wind behind him and managed to turn Sakura's last punch directly into a throw. He threw Sakura into the draft which he had felt, and Naruto was forced to abandon pooling the wind chakra around him. He and Sakura regrouped again.

Just then, Sakura noticed that one Sharingan on Danzo's arm had closed down. She frowned at the sight and Danzo noticed her looking at his arm with a slight tension. He thought, 'I better finish the fight while I can. The massive amount of chakra I have already used is taking its toll.' He charged towards Sakura, trying to keep her from thinking. Naruto was deciding whether to fight hand to hand or to try a jutsu. Just then, Kyuubi spoke inside Naruto's psyche. He said, "**Naruto, I suddenly realized why I was able to sense the Kotoamatsukami. You see, I have seen this Dojutsu a long time ago, even before the Hidden Leaf village was formed. It was used by a man named Shizui Uchiha. I get the feeling that this Sharingan is of a descendant of Shizui.**"

Naruto nodded and said, "So, how did you counter it?" The fox replied, "**I think it is because I have been under the influence of the Kotoamatsukami before. Shizui was one hell of a fighter. I have no doubt that if I hadn't noticed it faster, you would be completely under Danzo's control. However, there is one thing. I was able to read that Shisui guy's memories from his right eye. I don't understand how I was able to do that.**"

Naruto said, "Leave that to figure out for later. So, what's with this jutsu anyway? How's it work?" Kyuubi retorted, "**This jutsu is a GenJutsu which influences a person's willpower against their wishes. It makes you do things you don't want to. So, if you were under Danzo's control, he could make you kill the Hokage or do things that you would never do otherwise.**"

Naruto pondered over that and said, "How do I find out if he's doing it to me?" Kyuubi snorted and replied, "**I saved your ass once. I ain't gonna do it again. Find out your own way.**" Naruto started riling up again, but he just noticed Sakura flying into a tree and put his attention back into the battle.

Just then, Danzo began signing again. He was signing slowly and Naruto could sense that he was building up a large amount of chakra. He decided to make sure that Danzo could not use his jutsu. Danzo finished signing and shouted, "Wind Style: Vacuum Bullet Barrage!" and began to spit out huge bullets of wind chakra from his mouth. Naruto decided to surprise Danzo and disappeared. He reappeared behind Danzo and shouted, "Rasengan!" Danzo turned around in terror and signed even as Naruto thrust the roiling orb into his chest. He flew behind into the edges around the clearing. Naruto thought, 'Phew! That takes a bit of skill. Thank God he didn't notice me before I came up behind him.' He saw Sakura pulling herself out of the tree and said, "Hey Sakura, you all right?" Sakura snorted and said, "I've had worse with Lady Tsunade."

Naruto smirked and began to walk towards her, when a sudden whizz caused his instincts to take over and he ducked, just in time to see a kunai whizz over his head. It flew in a straight line and fell in between the two teens. Naruto turned around to see Danzo walking back into the clearing, no injury on his chest whatsoever. Naruto thought, 'How on earth is he not injured? My Rasengan was at least one and a half times stronger than usual!'

Just then, a huge explosion behind him rocked the ground, and the two of them realized a little too late, that there had been a paper bomb attached to the kunai. Naruto flew forward by the force of the explosion, but managed to right himself up before he landed on the ground in front of Danzo. Sakura had just managed to shield herself with her arms and keep her balance.

Sakura was also wondering the same thing that Naruto was, when she noticed another of Danzo's eyes closing. She frowned and thought, 'What if there is a correspondence between the Sharingans and Danzo's supposed invincibility?' She decided to test it and said, "Naruto, come here a moment." He shunshined back to her, and she said quietly, "I think that the Sharingans in his right arm have something to do with his ability to remain alive after taking such hard hits." Naruto nodded and said, "I was thinking along the same lines. Every time the geezer is about to die, he does those three hand signs. And every time, one of the Sharingans on his right arm close down. I think it is some Jutsu of the Sharingans that is keeping him alive."

Sakura said, "What do we do? We have no way of finding out!" Naruto smirked and said, "I don't know about you, but I know a way of finding out for sure! I just have to keep killing him until he dies!" Sakura face palmed and said, "Do you know that there are other things in the world besides fighting?" They suddenly realized that Danzo was not fighting, but waiting for them, and Sakura said, "I think that he's low on chakra. That's why he's waiting for us to make the first move. He's being defensive." Naruto replied, "I have an idea. Can you keep him busy for five minutes or so? I'll try going into Sage Mode and attack him then. And I'll see if I can spot something different." Sakura nodded and said, "But make sure you do it quick. I won't be able to hold him off for long, not with his long range Wind Jutsu." Naruto nodded and split off a few Shadow Clones. He said, "Provide a distraction." All the clones nodded.

Naruto sat down to meditate and Danzo's eyes widened. He started to charge towards Naruto, but the clones and Sakura came in the middle. Danzo thought, 'He's sitting still. There's no doubt about it. I never thought that the kid could actually use nature energy. This is bad! I must defeat him quickly or they might find out my secret!' Sakura began to fight Danzo and he decided to take her out of the fight before she could pose a threat to him.

The shadow clones were proving to be a nuisance for Danzo, because he was constantly being attacked by more than person. As a result, he was not able to use the Sharingan to predict the clones' or Sakura's moves. He thought, 'This is getting out of hand. I have to end this now.' Danzo waited until Sakura and the clones were in range, and substituted himself for Sakura. As she stared around in bewilderment at the sudden displacement, he signed and said, "Hidden Arts: Wind Blade Storm!" A barrage of wind chakra blades erupted from in front of Danzo's body. Sakura paled as she saw the blades speeding towards her, and braced herself. But the shadow clones quickly got in the way and were destroyed, creating a large cloud of white smoke. Sakura thanked the clones in her mind and quickly shunshined away, using the smoke as a diversion.

As she fell back, however, she suddenly noticed a shadow behind her, and turned around to see Danzo standing behind her. He didn't look at her twice, before plunging the kunai in his right hand straight towards her heart. Sakura closed her eyes and waited for her death…


	30. Chapter 30: The Fall of the Elder

**Chapter 30: The Fall of the Elder**

Danzo plunged his kunai straight towards Sakura's heart. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his forearm. He looked to his right to see Naruto standing next to him, fury in his yellow eyes. He pulled Danzo, hard, and threw him away from Sakura. Danzo went flying and landed a hundred feet away from the two of them. Naruto charged towards him and started a furiously fast version of Frog Kumite.

Sakura opened her eyes, confused. She realized that Naruto had saved her and watched in awe as Naruto fought Danzo, matching his every move, and landing multiple hits on the old man. She wasn't even able to follow a few of his moves, and thought, 'I have GOT to learn Sage Mode!' Danzo was panting from the effort of having to use the Sharingan to predict Naruto's moves so much. Naruto smirked and said, "Getting lightheaded?" Danzo stood straight and said, "You don't understand. This is the only way that the Hidden Leaf village will remain safe."

Naruto said, "It's you don't understand. You old geezer, just because you've lived for a long time, doesn't give you the right to decide what is right and what is wrong. I am of much more use to the village by going out into the world and working, completing missions, helping out in the Land of Fire."

He continued, "You have always tried to protect the village and that is something that I respect. However, you went to extreme measures and put the village at risk under the name of saving it. You tried to have Grandma Tsunade killed. You tried to put me under control, without realizing that it could weaken my will power, and thus my control over the Nine Tails. You underwent illegal means to obtain the Sharingan. You are the worst type of scum that the Ninja World could ever produce."

Danzo said, "Do you really think that I care what you say, boy?! I couldn't care less about the Hokage or you! The Hokage is weak and selfish. She is indecisive and slow. If I were the Hokage, I would have ushered in a new era of ninjas, and made the Hidden Leaf village the strongest village in the entire world!"

Naruto snorted and said, "There's a difference between dreams and real life. The village would never accept you as Hokage. You don't even know what being Hokage means. Hokage is not just a title which symbolizes the strongest person in the village. It is a title earned by shinobi who prove that they value the village, its ideals, and its ninjas above their own life, and who would gladly sacrifice themselves in order to keep their village safe and prosperous. You are nothing but a coward, who would run from death, rather than facing it head on."

Danzo smiled mockingly, and replied, "You are a child. You have absolutely no idea what being a Hokage means. Do you really think that the Third Hokage was a man like you suggest? He was a coward as well, running away from everything. Did you know that he ordered the Uchiha clan to be destroyed? Did you know that he is the reason that the Root Foundation even exists? It is because he was also too weak and stupid to take the right decisions."

Naruto began shaking with anger. He looked at Danzo, his eyes slowly turning red with a vertical slit, albeit with the toad dash as well. The result was a hybrid form of a vertical and a horizontal slit on a background of blood red. He said, "I don't care what you say about me or the village. BUT DON'T YOU EVER INSULT THE THIRD HOKAGE IN FRONT OF ME!" He charged at Danzo, the Nine Tails cloak enveloping him. His attacks became much faster and deadlier, and Danzo was forced to use a GenJutsu to increase his speed. Sakura watched as Naruto managed to hit Danzo with a punch which definitely had the potential to crush Danzo's internal organs.

Just as he fell, Danzo signed thrice. Sakura watched carefully, and Danzo's body fell. Naruto looked around as well, and suddenly took a giant swipe towards his right. Danzo appeared next to his arm, and blocked it with a kunai. Sakura again saw another Sharingan close down and realized. 'He's using a Jutsu related to the Sharingan which allows him to live even through fatal blows. However, every time he uses the jutsu, one of the Sharingans closes down. So if all of them close, then…'

Just then, Naruto managed to land a blow using Frog Kumite on Danzo. The old man flew back into a tree with a deafening crash. He fell to the ground, coughing up blood, and Naruto plunged a kunai into his back. Danzo died with a groan, and Naruto turned around, blocking another attack from Danzo. He shouted, "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! JUST DIE ALREADY!"

Sakura knew that she would have to stop Naruto before he went crazy. She fished through her weapons pouch and found the seal that Kakashi-sensei had given her. She charged into the battle, aiming a punch at Danzo. He hopped back to avoid getting his ribs bent inwards, and Sakura quickly slapped the seal onto Naruto's forehead. The chakra from the Kyuubi quickly got siphoned away, and Naruto went back to his normal self. His eyes also turned blue, losing the nature energy.

Naruto said, "What happened, Sakura?" She replied shortly, "Kyuubi was influencing you. Got rid of his chakra." Naruto nodded gratefully and said, "Thanks, I owe you one." She said, "That you do. Now listen up, I found out his secret." Naruto stared at her and asked, "What do you mean?"

Sakura started talking, but Danzo wasn't just going to wait for them to plan strategies. He signed again and shot another barrage of wind bullets. Naruto decided to retreat for now, and let one of the bullets hit his right bicep. The arm tore, and blood dripped freely. He quickly signed and said, "Hidden Arts: Blood Clone Jutsu." The blood quickly formed into two clones. Then Naruto threw a smoke bomb into the ground near him. Danzo narrowed his eyes, trying to make out what was happening in the cloud of smoke, but he couldn't see anything.

Suddenly, Naruto and Sakura emerged from the cloud of smoke and started fighting Danzo at the same time. He struggled to keep up. However, he couldn't help but feel that something was off putting about the way Sakura was fighting.

Meanwhile, the real Naruto and Sakura were safely a few hundred meters away from Danzo. Sakura said, "I think that every time he does those three hand signs, Danzo is activating a jutsu which is allowing him to live, through whatever attacks we throw at him, no matter how deadly they may be. But there's a cost to this invincibility. Every time he uses it, one of the Sharingans in his arm closes down. So, that's why he has so many. So that he can live by using one of the eyes. I guess he usually doesn't need to use more than one. He depends on his enemy thinking that they finished him off, so that he can strike when their attention is somewhere else."

Naruto nodded and replied, "So, like I said before, if we get rid of all the eyes by killing him multiple times, maybe we can really finish this." Sakura nodded and said, "But we must not let him find out that we've realized his trick. Maybe we can turn it to our advantage."

The two of them returned to the battlefield, where Danzo was in the process of plunging a kunai into the transformed blood clone's stomach. Sakura couldn't help but shudder as she saw herself 'die' in front of her eyes. The clone which had transformed into her fell to the ground, turning into a puddle of blood. The other clone looked at the original Naruto, who nodded. The facsimile turned and leaped towards the other side of the clearing, away from Danzo.

Danzo looked at the real duo and said, "I thought that there was something wrong. Sakura is much stronger than that clone of yours, Naruto. However, it was an excellent plan, keeping me distracted with the clones while you were thinking of a plan. I assume you did this when you threw the smoke bomb?"

Naruto didn't respond. He simply stared at Danzo languidly. Then he took a few steps forward. Sakura followed suit. Danzo readied himself for a new attack, but it never came. Instead, Naruto kept staring at Danzo as though he were a rock or a tree. Danzo wondered what had gotten into him, as did Sakura. However, after a minute went by, Danzo lost his patience, and charged at Naruto. The duo of Team 7 started fighting again, but Naruto didn't seem to be attacking; in fact, he seemed to be withholding his power. Sakura couldn't help but wonder what he was trying.

A few minutes later, Naruto was still on the defensive, and Sakura asked him, "Why aren't you fighting properly, Naruto?" Naruto simply smiled and said, "Just wait and watch, Sakura." She nodded and they went back into battle. Suddenly, Sakura's eyes widened as she realized that Naruto was toying with Danzo, trying to get him riled up and make mistakes.

Sakura thought, 'That is amazing, Naruto! Danzo's already low on chakra. If we keep drawing out the fight, he'll be more winded. And there's a chance that the others from the village will be able to provide support too. I have no doubt that the Hyugas in currently scouting the area to search for us.'

She smiled at Naruto and he winked. Danzo looked at them in confusion and then said, "Whatever you are planning, it is not going to work. I can predict whatever attacks you may use. That's one of the advantages of the Sharingan." Naruto began to speak, but Sakura realized what he was going to say, and stopped him just in time, by stomping on his foot. Naruto bit his tongue and turned blue.

Danzo grew even more confused, but thought, 'I must finish the fight while I can, so that I can get a chance to escape before the rest of the village catches up to me.' He quickly performed another string of hand signs, and invoked, "Wind Style: Wind Shuriken Jutsu!"

Seven large white shurikens formed above him, all spinning dangerously fast. He raised his arm and then made a throwing motion towards the teens. Sakura began to get out of the way, but Naruto smiled.

A moment before the shurikens could hit them, seven Narutos suddenly jumped in front of the shurikens, and sacrificed themselves. A huge white cloud of smoke went up as they disappeared, and Danzo waited to see what they would do next. Suddenly the earth began shaking and he jumped into the air just in time, as a huge fissure erupted from the ground in front of him. The fissure, he noted, was coming from the direction of the smoke, and he put two and two together to figure out that Sakura had punched the earth with her fist.

Suddenly, Danzo felt another chakra presence to his extreme right and he looked there just in time to see a Naruto turn into a puddle of blood. His eyes widened as he saw the cloud in front of him clear. Naruto was holding a massive Rasengan of around six feet in diameter above his head, and that too with one hand only. As Danzo thought about what to do, Sakura sent another fissure into the earth, and Danzo jumped again. Just then, he realized his mistake. Naruto had jumped up at the same time, and was now advancing with the massive orb hurling straight towards Danzo. The elder had no choice. He signed thrice again and at the last moment, looked into Naruto's eyes to see them yellow again, with an orange color surrounding them.

Danzo died again, and Naruto turned around to see him standing far away from the two teens. Danzo was panting, and looked quite exhausted. He thought, 'That clone at the edge of the clearing was gathering Sage chakra for Naruto! How could I not have noticed that?! Although, who would have thought that Sage chakra can be transferred through clones to the original like that! I'm draining out of chakra too fast. Naruto is certainly quite strong. I need to think of something fast, or I'll have no way out!'

Naruto and Sakura regrouped. They noticed Danzo's arm and saw another Sharingan closing. Sakura quickly counted and said, "Naruto, he has five Sharingans left. That means we have to kill him five times until he becomes vulnerable." Naruto nodded and said, "Unless he uses that one in his right eye, which would make it six times." Sakura said, "You're right. But we must finish this soon, or else we'll be tired out too."

Naruto said, "Hey, you haven't even killed him once. How about doing it while I take a backseat?" She smacked him on the head and shouted, "It's not a competition, you idiot!" He rubbed his head and said, "Geez, alright. You don't need to keep hitting me all the time!"

Naruto took out a kunai and said, "Alright, let's go. And this time, we're gonna need another guy to help. So, Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A facsimile of Naruto stepped out from the cloud of smoke that surrounded them, and said, "Formation 7, right?"

Sakura gasped; they hadn't used Formation 7 since Sasuke had left the Leaf Village. Naruto said, "Yup. If you're up to it, of course, Sakura." She quickly hid her feelings and said, "Of course I am. Let's do it." The clone Naruto came and stood to the left of the original and Sakura stood behind them, and in the center, so that the three of them formed a V.

Naruto said, "Alright! Let's go, Team 7!" The three of them rushed in at a tremendous speed, and Danzo was forced to jump back to avoid the opening salvo of Naruto and his clone's punches. Sakura jumped over the two of them and punched the earth from above, and created a hole in the ground. Danzo jumped up just in time to dodge it, but Naruto threw his clone straight into the elder, and the clone lodged a kunai firmly in Danzo's chest, just below the left ventricle. Danzo managed to sign feebly, and as his body fell to the ground, the clone exploded. Danzo had thrown a kunai at the clone, and was standing away from them again.

Naruto said in a low voice, "Alright! That worked perfectly, Sakura! And with you getting so strong now, you didn't even have to stay back!" Sakura frowned at the slight insult, but let it go. She said, "Don't push it, Naruto. There are still four Sharingans to go."

Danzo thought, 'This is bad. I don't have any option but to use it. I had hoped to keep it, but that boy has taken me out too many times now. I can't even rely on my Sharingans anymore. And it seems that they have figured out what I'm doing. They keep staring at my right arm.' He signed slowly, and said, "Wood Style: Wood Clone Jutsu!" Sakura and Naruto stared in surprise as Danzo's right arm extended and a clone of him suddenly appeared from it. Danzo said, "I need some time to get my energy back. Distract them." The clone nodded and charged towards the duo. Sakura said, "Look out, Naruto. I've heard of this jutsu before. It is said that the Wood Clone Jutsu is the strongest cloning jutsu ever created."

Naruto said, "I know, Sakura. I'm not that much of an idiot. I've only ever seen Yamato Sensei use it before. And it took a lot out of him." Sakura nodded and began to fight the wood clone. Naruto also charged in and they began to slowly drive the wood clone back.

Danzo thanked his stars that he had brought his medicine pouch with him. He quickly took out two food pills, a plasma pill and a small bottle filled with a blue liquid. He consumed everything, and started to feel his chakra and energy return. He kept his pouch back in his robes and thought of the situation. 'My Sharingans are not going to return. If I defeat them, I cannot allow myself to become vulnerable anymore. I should use my jutsus more conservatively. Naruto doesn't take a hit easily and if he does, it heals almost instantly. Sakura is excellent at close range fighting, so that leaves TaiJutsu out of the question. Wait, how about GenJutsu? In the reports I read yesterday, Naruto's GenJutsu is terrible. And although Sakura's GenJutsu is good, I doubt she can resist S-Rank ones easily.'

With a plan in mind, Danzo called his wood clone back. The clone retreated and Naruto and Sakura followed him. The clone suddenly shot out wooden beams out of his arm, and the two teens scattered to avoid them. Danzo's clone turned into wood and Danzo face palmed. He thought, 'Just when I was going to use him as a distraction! Oh, well. Now that I'm back in fighting shape, I'll just have to create another clone.'

Naruto suddenly felt himself return to normal and Sakura said, "Naruto, you're…" He nodded and said, "I'm out of Sage chakra now. I guess I'll just fight normally for some time. Handling Sage chakra is quite intense. I guess we're back to base one now though, I could sense that the geezer's chakra has returned." Sakura said, "We never should have taken our eyes off of him."

Danzo created another wood clone and the two old men faced the two teenagers. Naruto said, "I've had enough of this guy now. I'm going to end it fast and furious." Sakura said, "Damn right. A guy who has to be killed 10 times? That's a little much." She cracked her knuckles and pulled her gloves tighter. Naruto adjusted his coat. Then they looked at each other and nodded. In synchronization, the two of them signed and shouted, "Ninja Arts: Weapon Summoning!"

As Danzo's eyes widened again, two clouds of smoke appeared in front of the two teens. As the smoke cleared, Danzo saw Sakura holding a battle axe in her right hand, and Naruto holding…

"A staff blade?!"

Danzo began to laugh and said, "You wasted your chakra by summoning a staff blade? That's so…" Naruto smirked and sent a sliver of wind chakra into the staff blade. With only a second's delay, it transformed into a broadsword. That stopped Danzo's laugh cold. He stared at the sword, wondering how deadly it could be. Naruto said, "How's my staff blade looking now, geezer?"

Danzo said, "That is fairly impressive, making use of chakra like that. But all the weapons in the world won't help you if you cannot hit me." Sakura smiled sweetly and said, "We'll see about that, won't we?" Naruto nodded and said, "Damn right."

Danzo cursed under his breath and said, "Alright, let's see what you've got." He quickly extracted another kunai from his hidden pocket and charged along with his clone towards the teens. Naruto and Sakura quickly dropped into their weapon stances and waited. But just as Danzo's clone reached Naruto, he substituted for the real Danzo, who swung his kunai straight at Naruto's stomach. With only a moment to react, Naruto wasn't completely able to dodge the attack, and a small cut opened up on his stomach, which began to heal immediately. Naruto retaliated by swinging Kitsune towards Danzo's right arm. Danzo blocked the sword with his kunai, and without the slightest resistance, Naruto's sword cut through the kunai as though it was made of paper.

Danzo's eyes widened and he hopped back quickly. He tried to extract another kunai, but Naruto didn't give him a chance. As Danzo tried to defend himself, he saw his clone getting beheaded by Sakura. The clone turned back to wood and Danzo cursed again. Naruto mocked, "What's the matter? Careful plan coming apart in front of your eyes?"

Danzo stared at him angrily, and then said, "You better watch your mouth, boy." Naruto smiled, "Or what?" Danzo said, "You may be forgetting that I have an army of Root members at my disposal. I can call them at any time and have you killed." Naruto said, "So where are they, then? I don't see any of them around to save your ass."

Danzo said, "Just because I didn't call them yet doesn't mean that they won't come running as soon as I do." Naruto said, "Well, I'm waiting, then. Let's see how your ANBU's strength matches up to mine." Danzo said, "Arrogance will only take you so far."

Just then, Sakura caught up to them and said, "How come you're not done yet, Naruto?" Naruto retorted, "The geezer is quite a talker. He says he can call his army of ANBU members to kill us at any time."

Sakura snorted and said, "Well, it won't take me any time to dismember the members of your ANBU members, if you catch my drift." Danzo saw her eyes lower and slightly colored. Then he suddenly went into a stance and started signing rapidly. Naruto started charging at him, "Oh no, you don't…" Bu suddenly, a gust of wind blew him back. He fell backwards but managed to right himself up. Sakura said, "What happened?" He replied, "I got blown away by his wind chakra."

Danzo was surprised to see that he was only slightly affected by the chakra that he had exuded. Then he remembered that Naruto was also a Wind Style user. He completed his hand signs and unleashed another wind shuriken barrage at the two of them. Naruto quickly signed as well, and invoked, "Wind Style: Giant Wind Gale!"

A huge gust of wind was created above Naruto and swooshed in front of him, dissolving the wind shurikens, and continuing towards Danzo, who could only cross his arms in front of him and hope for the best. Luckily, one of the shurikens had weakened the area of the gale where Danzo passed through, so he survived with only a few minor cuts to his hand. However, he cried out in dismay as he saw one of his Sharingans totally destroyed by the gale. It was cut into three pieces, and closed down as he looked at it.

Danzo lost it. He charged at Naruto with the ferocity of a young teenager, and Naruto was forced to actively dodge his attacks, rather than simply toying around. He said, "Stay back for a while and assess the situation, Sakura." She nodded and signed, "Ninja Arts: Five Sense Augmentation!" She amplified all her senses, and noticed that Danzo's muscles seemed to be moving quite faster than usual, but at a rate which would soon leave him in quite a bad shape. Then she noticed that he had a lot more chakra in his body than usual. Realization dawned upon her and she shouted, "NARUTO! WATCH OUT! DANZO HAS OPENED THE FIRST INNER GATE!"

Danzo's eyes again widened in surprise. How did the girl know about the inner gates? Then he remembered Might Gai and his student, who had opened the inner gates during the qualifiers for the Chunin exams. He quickly opened the Second Gate, compensating his muscles for the strength they gave him at that time. Naruto suddenly noticed it as well. He said, "You do know that the gates don't last forever, right? And they injure the body just as much."

Danzo smirked and said, "It doesn't matter, as long as I can defeat you first." Naruto continued dodging his attacks, wondering how he could go about getting Danzo to stop in his tracks. He suddenly realized that he was no longer using Kitsune, and quickly channeled a little lightning chakra into it. The staff blade suddenly extended into a whip and Naruto lashed it out at Danzo. The old man had no time to react, and was caught in the whip, which let out a huge jolt of electricity.

Danzo somehow managed to substitute himself for a log, and fell to the ground, the electricity still coursing through his body. He managed to get up to his knees, and looked up to see Naruto standing with the broadsword. As he saw Naruto's hand move, he quickly signed three times.

Sakura noticed the chakra being channeled into one of the remaining Sharingans. She saw the GenJutsu which Danzo used to displace the reality which Naruto was in and turn it into a dream. Naruto cut off Danzo's head, and the Sharingan shut down. Danzo reappeared a few meters away, holding his neck as though afraid it might fall off. Naruto was about to continue when Sakura called out to him. He quickly fell back and she said, "Danzo's using a GenJutsu related to the Sharingans. It alters the reality where he dies and turns it into a dream. It also creates a new reality where he can position himself however he likes. I saw it with my Five Sense Augmentation right now."

Naruto nodded and said, "No wonder I felt different when I killed him using Sage Mode. I could feel the chakra in my own body getting displaced, but I didn't think it would be a GenJutsu at that time. Anyway, there's only two more to go, and then he's as vulnerable as anyone else."

Sakura nodded and said, "What else do we do to kill him? We've used TaiJutsu, NinJutsu, weapons, and what not. Wait, how about GenJutsu?" Naruto said, "Won't that fail against the Sharingan in his right eye?" She pondered over that and said, "We could try. After all, it didn't originally belong to him to begin with." Naruto said, "Well, it's up to you. I can't use GenJutsu to save my life." She nodded and said, "That's for damn sure."

Naruto engaged Danzo in combat again, and Sakura waited. Just as Danzo turned his eyes away from her, she signed, slowly and deliberately, and whispered, "Ninja Arts: Five Sense Alteration Jutsu." Unlike the augmentation technique, this was a GenJutsu which altered the enemy's senses. Danzo didn't even realize that he had fallen under the GenJutsu, due to his focus on Naruto.

Naruto grinned slightly, as Danzo stumbled on a tree log. Danzo frowned; he thought he had jumped over it. Naruto continued the attack, and Danzo found himself getting punched and kicked a lot more than he thought. 'What is this? I'm being hit even though I'm dodging and blocking him! What has he done? Is it his Sage Mode again?'

Naruto landed a particularly strong punch in Danzo's solar plexus, and the old traitor wheezed in discomfort as he doubled over. Naruto landed his foot over Danzo's shoulder in an axe kick, and the older man fell to the ground. Naruto quickly plunged the blunt end of Kitsune towards him, but Danzo saw the attack coming and somehow managed to shunshin far away, where he surmised the situation.

Now that he was paying attention to himself, he found out that his body had two different chakras inside it. He quickly intoned, "Release!" and the effects of Sakura's GenJutsu went away. Danzo found his eyesight changing back to normal and said, "That is a most effective GenJutsu. It changed the sight of my eyes to focus a few inches to the right of where they should have, allowing Naruto to punch me successfully, rather than me blocking it."

Sakura said, "It didn't just change your sense of sight. It changed all of your senses. Didn't you notice that you couldn't smell anything? Or that Naruto's punches felt much more sensitive than they should have? Or, for the record that you couldn't hear where his punch was coming from?"

Danzo nodded and said, "That is quite impressive. To be able to alter all the senses of another human is one of the toughest things to do. I would say that this is an S-Rank GenJutsu." Sakura nodded and said, "Too bad that this praise isn't going to help you. You're going down."

Danzo was desperate now. He thought of escaping, but knew that Naruto was one of the few ninjas in the village who didn't tire easily. 'He could easily catch up to me. I need to make sure that he doesn't follow me. But how can I escape? They can cut me off no matter what I try. Things aren't looking too good for me. Darn that Orochimaru! Why did he have to die?! I needed to perfect my arm so I could use Wood Style without tiring myself out!'

Naruto was getting irritated by this long battle. He said, "Hey Sakura. Let's finish this soon. I'm tired of this long fight." Sakura nodded and said, "Been there." Naruto looked inside his psyche and said, "Hey Kyuubi, can you lend me some of your chakra? I want to finish this guy and your chakra could really lend me a hand." The fox snorted and said, "**Why should I lend you any of my chakra? As if I care whether that old geezer lives or not!**" Naruto smirked and said, "Oh, I think you do care. After all, you did save me from the Koto… whatever the hell that was."

The Nine Tails smirked and said, "**I just didn't want you to lose control to someone as weak as that guy, when you could take back control from a God like me.**" Naruto laughed and said, "Think mighty highly of yourself, don't you? Well, if you really believe that you're a God, pass judgment on Danzo right now."

The Nine Tails pondered for a few seconds and then said, "**Alright brat. I'm getting tired of seeing this guy around all the time anyway. I'll give you some chakra to finish this fight quickly. But don't expect me to help again.**" Naruto smirked to himself and thought, 'I knew it. Kyuubi's getting soft.'

In the outside world, Sakura gasped as she suddenly saw Naruto transform. She said, "Naruto, what…" Then she suddenly remembered the transformation that Naruto had undergone when he was fighting the demon Doraku. She thought, 'So, this is the same transformation as he did.' A burst of chakra shot up in the air from Naruto's body, engulfing him within it. His clothes and skin turned golden in color, and his uniform extended below at the end to form a cloak. Nine black tomoe appeared on the back of his uniform. His eyes became a dark orange and his pupils turned to slits.

Danzo stared at this transformation with both worry and awe. He thought, 'Has the boy managed to control the Nine Tails as well?! This is unbelievable! How could he manage that at this tender age?' Naruto looked up straight into Danzo's eyes. Then he smirked.

Before Danzo could even see it, Naruto had punched him in the stomach so hard that his arm had come out through the old man's back. Danzo coughed up a gallon of blood as Naruto let him go and he fell to the ground. Danzo slowly signed thrice and disappeared. He flung a paper bomb attached to a kunai at Naruto's back, who didn't even turn around. One of the golden tails behind Naruto caught the kunai in it, and flung it back at Danzo, who barely avoided it. Sakura gazed in awe at the sheer strength of Naruto's chakra, which was destroying the ground beneath it with his every step.

Naruto said, "It's over, Danzo. Give up now." Danzo said, "I may be many things, Naruto, but a coward isn't one of them." Naruto nodded with a little more respect in his eyes, and said, "Then you are prepared to die?" Danzo nodded and said, "In this ninja world, there are many who have never lived to see the age that I have. I am glad to have been able to live a full life, and work for my village for so long. I only hope that my death will not lead the village into turmoil."

Danzo signed thrice again and charged at Naruto. The Jinchuuriki waited until the last moment and then thrust a Giant Rasengan right into Danzo's head. Danzo disappeared again and reappeared to his right, trying to land a punch in Naruto's stomach. Naruto hopped back and noticed the last Sharingan on Danzo's hand closing. He said, "Your Sharingan trick is over. What now?"

Danzo said, "Even if my Izanagi is over, I am still a ninja. And I have anyway accepted the fat that awaits me. If I die, I die fighting." Sakura asked, "Since you're dying anyway, can you explain how this Izanagi works?" Danzo said, "Sure, why not? Izanagi is an ancient Uchiha technique which works using the Sharingan. It is one of the forbidden techniques which alter the line between reality and GenJutsu itself. Whenever I do the three hand signs, I activate Izanagi. If I die within sixty seconds after the activation of the Izanagi, I can alter the timeline of my death to turn it into a GenJutsu and create a different reality in which I am not dead. However, there is a price to be paid for this. The eye which uses the Izanagi loses its light, that is to say, it closes down forever. That is why, to cheat death ten times, I implanted ten Sharingans in my arm. However, the Sharingans are not only part of the body, but also part of the soul. It is extremely difficult to keep them in check, which is why I used cells from the First Hokage to keep them in check."

Sakura said, "So, this Izanagi, you say? Does it work for every Sharingan?" Naruto wondered why Sakura was bothering to ask all this, but kept quiet. From within his psyche, Kyuubi growled and said, "**I thought I gave you my power to kill Danzo, not to just stand around lolling. Forget it, I'm taking it back.**" Naruto went back to normal. Sakura noticed this and said, "What happened, Naruto?"

The knucklehead replied, "Kyuubi got bored of waiting for me to kill the geezer, so he took back his chakra." Sakura said, "So that means… you were using the Nine Tailed Fox's power right now? But you looked so different from before, when you were surrounded by red chakra."

Naruto said, "Yeah, well it's kinda hard to explain. It's got something to do with the fox's chakra being joined to the fox's will. When you separate the two of them, and only use the chakra, you transform the way I did just now. If you can't separate them, then you get that red chakra which I did before, because the fox's will was also imposed upon me."

Sakura nodded and said, "Alright. Explain in detail later. For now, let's focus on one thing." Naruto sheepishly said, "Well, I was explaining in detail right now…. Screw it. Pervy Sage can explain it better anyway." Danzo prepared himself for the final attack.

Naruto and Sakura both attacked as one. They moved fluidly, not even needing to speak, their teamwork flawless. As Danzo dodged and blocked their attacks, he thought, 'Well, they certainly make a wonderful team. I wonder if I've been wrong this entire time.' As he prepared to unleash another jutsu, Naruto quickly created a distraction by hurling a shadow clone at the old man. Danzo dodged the clone and saw Naruto signing at a speed which would have impressed Kakashi. Naruto roared, "Secret Wind Style: Zero Point Gale!" Danzo's eyes widened as the winds around Naruto began swirling in a deadly fashion. They winds gained speed and soon began screeching with the sheer amount of power they exuded. Sakura crossed her hands in front of her to block all the winds which were near her.

Danzo thought, 'This is it then. After all this time, I was defeated by a mere boy. Well, I can hardly call him a boy now, he's quite the ninja. If only I had not been so foolhardy… Well, Hiruzen, looks like I get to join you soon.' The giant gale of wind headed straight towards Danzo, who looked Naruto straight in the eye, and Naruto could have sworn that he smiled.

The wind gale sharpened and cut through Danzo as if he were a bale of hay. He gasped as he felt himself losing the ability to breathe; his heart desperately trying to pump more blood, and his brain trying to function properly. Visions flashed in front of his eyes, a young Hiruzen sitting next to him, smiling; an old Hiruzen talking to him angrily; his Root members kneeling before him; Orochimaru implanting the cells of the First Hokage in his arm.

At the last moment, he realized how wrong he had been and how right the Third Hokage had been. He thought, 'Well, at least I realized it before I brought any more damage to the village. I thought that I would strengthen the village, but in fact, I plotted against it, and tried to bring it down, by trying to murder the Hokage so many times. And yet, Hiruzen and Princess Tsunade forgave me every time. Ah, how fitting an end for me, after all the violence I caused, saying that it was for the sake of the village.'

_Danzo straightened up. He stretched his back, and got rid of the crick in his neck. He looked around the surrounding area and saw that everything was dark. There was simply a fire in front of him and two logs of wood. He went and sat down, not sure what was going to happen here._

_As he waited, footsteps sounded behind him and he looked around to see Hiruzen Sarutobi walking up to him. He said, "So, am I finally dead then?" The Third Hokage nodded and said, "That you are. I must say, Danzo, I was surprised that you lasted so long, after all the conspiracies you hatched." Danzo scratched the back of his head, and then realized that his right hand was normal again. He said, "So, how come you're here? Aren't you supposed to be in the Reaper's stomach?" Hiruzen shook his head and replied, "I am not really here, Danzo. This is just a little of my chakra and soul that the Shinigami allowed to enter the afterlife to have a chat with you. After all, this is the last stage before death." Danzo looked confused and asked, "What does that mean?" Hiruzen sat on a log and indicated that Danzo should too. He said, "This is the place where it will be decided whether you can pass onto the next realm or not. You see, if your sins outweigh your good deeds, you cannot be a part of the afterlife, and you will be destined to roam between the two realms forever."_

_Then Hiruzen smiled. He said, "But I don't think you need to worry about that. I have already asked the Shinigami to forgive you, and my word holds a bit of power here. So, I guess you're welcome to join if you wish." Danzo stood. He said, "I realized all the mistakes I made when I fought Naruto, and I understood why you always acted the way you did, trying to talk your way out of anything, rather than trying to eliminate the threats. If I had only seen that sooner…"_

_Hiruzen laughed and said, "Yes, Naruto does have that effect on everyone, doesn't he? I must say, he's changed you quite a lot as well." Danzo nodded wisely and said, "So, what now? Where do we go from here?" Hiruzen said, "Are you sure you're ready? You're going to have to face a lot of people there, not to mention Shisui, who was quite peeved at you the last time I checked."_

_Danzo grinned and said, "You know I never back down from anything, Hiruzen."_

_The Third Hokage smiled and said, "Then let's go."_

Naruto and Sakura stood watching, as the winds died down, and Danzo lay on the ground at long last. Sakura heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Well, it's finally over."

"It sure is, Sakura."

The two teens spun around to see Lady Tsunade standing behind them, with around a hundred or more ANBU members behind her. She said, "You know, I was worried for a moment or so, that you guys may not pull it off. But it looks like I underestimated you again." Sakura looked at her in confusion, and Tsunade understood, and elaborated, "These are the members of the Root Foundation. I asked them to come here in order to take Danzo away and give him a proper send off."

Naruto nodded and said, "So, how do we do this? Now that Danzo's dead, who controls the Root?" Tsunade pondered over that for a bit and then said, "I'll worry about that later. Right now, we need to decide what to do with that Sharingan in his right eye. It no doubt belongs to Shisui. I guess we need to have it removed and keep it safe for the time being. It is much too valuable to be destroyed."

Naruto and Sakura nodded. Tsunade said to the Root members, "Give me a moment and then you can take him with you." The Root member in front, wearing a tiger mask, nodded and she said, "Make sure there's no witnesses, Tenzo." He said in a low voice, "I thought my name had been changed to…" She hushed him and whispered, "I don't want **them** to know that it's you." He realized what she meant and nodded. He went towards the body along with the Hokage. She quickly ran a few checks on his body to see if he was really dead. Then she carefully cut the optic nerves around Danzo's right eye with her chakra, and put the eye in a small container filled with a greenish liquid.

Tenzo picked up Danzo's body and nodded to the other Root members. They all vanished into the ground simultaneously. Tsunade straightened up, and said, "Let's head back to the village. Much as I hate to say it, I need to know the details of the battle, no matter how gruesome." She sighed and the three of them went back to the village.


	31. Chapter 31: Tsunade's Decision

**Chapter 31: Tsunade's Decision, The Fate of the Root**

When they reached Ninja Ops, they saw Jiraiya and Kakashi waiting for them. Naruto greeted the two of them enthusiastically. Jiraiya smiled at the teens and Kakashi gave them his famous eye smile. The old pervert said, "So, you guys actually pulled it off, huh?" Naruto grinned and said, "I had to pull out the Zero Point Gale to end it." Jiraiya said, "Well, that's a bit of a shocker. Was Danzo really that strong?"

Both the teens nodded and Naruto said, "I don't know why, but when I saw my jutsu hitting him, I could have sworn I saw him smile." Everyone stared at him and Sakura said, "You must have imagined it, Naruto." Naruto shrugged his shoulders and said, "Whatever. What are you doing here, anyway, Pervy Sage? Or for that matter, Kakashi sensei?"

Jiraiya said, "Well, Tsunade called me as soon as you went off with Danzo. And how many times did I tell you not to use that in front of others?" Naruto said, "Sorry, I had to do it to get away from the village." Jiraiya said, "Anyway, I had to come back at once, so I managed to pull a Summoning and Reverse Summoning to get here quickly. Then Tsunade briefed me about the situation and headed off. I was going to wait for Kakashi before following, but she called so say that the situation was under control. Now every time I head back to Tanzaku Town, everyone's gonna greet me as Toadman."

Everyone laughed at Jiraiya's cross face, and then Kakashi said, "Well, I was called for the same reason. Lady Tsunade didn't want anything to happen to you so she called me for backup. I just saw Master Jiraiya here so I stopped to ask him what he was doing, when Lady Tsunade's phone call came. So I waited here as well."

Tsunade said, "Come on. We need to inform all the clan leaders of this new development. And we need to decide what to do with the Root."

Everyone nodded and Tsunade said, "Sakura, if you would be so kind as to fetch Inoichi Yamanaka for me please?" Sakura nodded and took off. Naruto followed his mentors into the Ninja Ops, and was only slightly surprised when they descended into the interrogation chambers.

Tsunade said, "Alright, Naruto. We might as well get the battle report over before the clan leaders arrive." He nodded and told them his tale. Keeping in mind that Kakashi was close by, he omitted certain parts of the battle. However, Kakashi raised his eyebrow as he detected a change in Naruto's state. 'He seems to be avoiding something. I should ask later.'

Tsunade said, "Okay, then. I guess I'll take Sakura's report later. I must say, Naruto, I'm really impressed." Naruto smirked and said, "There was doubt?" Tsunade's eyebrow twitched and she said, "You better watch that sharp mouth of yours, kid." Naruto grinned and opened his mouth to retort, but just then, Inoichi Yamanaka entered.

"You called for me, Lady Hokage?"

Tsunade turned around and said, "Ah, yes, Inoichi. I need you to call in all the clan leaders. And please ensure to tell them that it is extremely urgent." Inoichi nodded and signed, saying, "Ninja Arts: Remote Mind Transmission Jutsu!" He joined his hands together and sat on the ground. Naruto stared at him and then asked Tsunade, "What is Inoichi-san doing?" Tsunade smirked and said, "Not yet calling him father in law? I'm disappointed in you."

Naruto blushed moderately, and for the first time, couldn't reply instantly. Tsunade said, "He's using one of the special Yamanaka clan jutsus to call in all the clan leaders." Naruto said, "How does that work, though?" She replied, "Only they know perfectly, but to explain it simply to you… I don't know, seems like a lot of work."

"Hey!"

Tsunade laughed and said, "I don't really know how to explain it. It's like there's a part of Inoichi in every clan leader's head. Whenever he activates the jutsu, those parts get connected together with the original Inoichi and he can talk to them simultaneously."

Naruto said, "That's quite an amazing technique." She nodded and said, "It helps a lot to have him around, since all the leaders can be notified of anything urgent at once." Sakura came in and said, "Milady, when do I give you my battle report?" Tsunade said, "After our meeting with the leaders, Sakura. Can you go and get Shizune as well? I'm going to need her to keep me calm in case something doesn't go right in the meeting, which I'm sure it won't."

Sakura slightly smiled and disappeared. Jiraiya said, "Why do you say that something's bound to go wrong?" Tsunade gave him a warning look and shook her head ever so slightly, and pointed towards Naruto with her eyes. Jiraiya understood and kept mum. Kakashi said, "Milady, I wanted to ask something."

She nodded and he continued, "Ever since the week long training between Naruto, Sakura and me concluded, I have felt that you and Naruto are keeping something from me. Now, obviously, you have the entire right to keep it from me, but I feel that as a mentor and teacher of Naruto, it is only right for me to know. I have noticed a few things that quite surprised me. Things that only you three could explain to me."

Tsunade sighed; she knew this day would come. She said, "Very well. If both Naruto and Jiraiya consent to it, then the three of us will explain it to you. But I must say, Kakashi, you will need to swear a Blood Oath to protect the secret." Kakashi's eyes widened. He thought about it for a bit and then nodded.

Just then, Inoichi opened his eyes and said, "All of the leaders are on their way, Milady." Tsunade said, "Thanks you, Inoichi." Inoichi went and sat in his designated position and Tsunade said, "Naruto buzz off."

"SAY WHAT?!"

She said, "This meeting is only for clan leaders, and you are not part of them. So go away." Naruto looked at Jiraiya and Kakashi, and said, "They aren't clan leaders too." Tsunade said, "They are the highest ranking shinobi in the village, and are also needed to speak about certain things that you don't know about, and which I don't want you to know about. So, I need you to go now, before I flick you on the forehead again."

Naruto said, "As if you could even touch me now. Very well, I'm going to wait in your office upstairs. I've made up my mind to tell Kakashi sensei everything. I've always wanted to, anyway."

Tsunade nodded and said, "What about you, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya nodded as well, and said, "Kakashi has certainly been one of the closest things Naruto has had to a parent. I would certainly not object to him knowing." Tsunade said, "Very well, then. Go wait upstairs, Naruto. And yes, I am going to be sealing this room, so that you don't crawl up in the air vents. If you attempt to enter, you will die a very painful death."

Naruto blanched at her expression and almost ran away. Kakashi smiled and said, "You wouldn't really do it, would you?" Tsunade said, "Of course not."

"So, Danzo's finally dead, huh?"

Tsunade nodded and said, "I examined the body myself, Hiashi-san." The Byakugan wielder said, "I certainly would have liked to send one of my clan members to make sure."

She said, "It was unnecessary. His body has been cremated by now."

She snapped her fingers and an ANBU member came up from the ground. He came into the light and said, "I cremated him myself. All the Root members are waiting for orders from the Hokage now." Tsunade said, "Tenzo, I want you to temporarily take control of the Root Foundation. Find out every dirty secret that Danzo has been hiding from us until now. I will soon find a suitable leader for the Root."

Tenzo nodded, bowed and then disappeared into the ground again. Inoichi leaned forward and asked, "Shouldn't the Root foundation be disbanded? I don't see any reason to keep Root functioning any more, now that Danzo is no more." Tsunade sighed and said, "Unfortunately, Danzo was right to have founded the Root. All the decisions which a Hokage just cannot make, the Root can execute them without any consequences. I shudder to think of the state of the village if the Root had never been implemented."

Shikaku said, "All that is very well, Milady, but we must consider the fact that the Root is quite dangerous. All their shinobi are strong and merciless. We must be able to control them." Tsunade nodded and said, "I have a means to do that. Any leader who we assign to the Root must be within our control."

Everyone nodded and Shikaku continued, "But who in our village could take on such an enormous responsibility, Milady? Surely for such a gigantic task, we need a person who is well aware of hard choices and sacrifices to be made." Tsunade said, "Yes, I do realize that. Which is why I have come to a decision. This person is the only one who can lead the Root, keep it a secret and will follow our orders to a fault."

Inoichi said, "Who would that be, Milady?"

Jiraiya said, "We would rather not say right now. Tsunade, we need to decide how to deal with the public first. Although it happened in secret, somehow the news is spreading like wildfire, that Danzo is dead. The Root has come out into the open, and the civilians are in a state of unrest."

Everyone exclaimed in dismay and Tsunade rubbed her head in frustration. She said, "Let's get rid of this situation first, then. Does anyone have any ideas, regarding calming down the citizens?" Shikaku and Kakashi both looked at each other. They seemed to understand each other's opinions and Shikaku spoke, "Milady, what if we were to proclaim that the Root be disbanded officially? So as to calm down the public. And tell them that all Root members will be converted to official ANBU? That would calm them down."

Tsunade raised her head and said, "That could work." Kakashi continued, "And Root could continue to operate behind the scenes. Knowing the person who would be the leader, I would dare to say that Root would never even exist officially after the announcement."

Tsunade slightly smiled at that. Hiashi frowned, "So, does that mean that you know who this person is, Kakashi Hatake?" Kakashi nodded and said, "Only Lady Hokage, Master Jiraiya and I know." Jiraiya said, "He is the only person who could ever hope to accomplish this task." Choza spoke for the first time in the meeting, saying, "So, are we going to learn his name or not?"

Tsunade said, "There's a problem with that. He promised us that he would return only if he was needed urgently, so we need to contact him first. If we are able to bring him in, then we will tell you who he is, of course. Until then, we cannot say. Also, if he does come in, we will require all of you to take Blood Oaths to keep his identity a secret."

Everyone showed various signs of dismay and disbelief at that, and Tsunade banged the desk. "QUIET! I also had to take a Blood Oath to keep his identity a secret, and I will not be able to reveal him to you unless he specifically states so himself." Everyone's expressions changed to immediate awe. Who was this person that commanded so much anonymity that the Hokage herself was forced to take a Blood Oath for him?

Hiashi said, "Well, if that is all, then. I must get going, we have a clan function this week and I must prepare for it. Inform me if and when another meeting will be held, Inoichi san." Inoichi nodded. Hiashi inclined his head towards everyone present and then walked royally out of the door. Tsunade said, "I guess that will be all for now. I daresay we may need to hold another meeting soon, so try to stay safe until then." Everyone smiled and got up. One by one, all the leaders walked out of the door. Tsunade, Kakashi, Jiraiya and Shizune remained inside. Tsunade said, "Shizune, go up to my office and make sure that Naruto is sitting still. If he's in my chair…"

Shizune blanched slightly and rushed up the stairs to protect her self-appointed younger brother. Tsunade said, "Jiraiya. Give me the latest updates." He nodded.

Naruto was as usual, goofing off in the Hokage's office, when Shizune rushed up. She said, "Naruto! Get out of Lady Tsunade's chair! She's coming up and she's given a warning that if you're in her chair when she comes back, you're in a heap of trouble!"

Naruto grinned and said, "Relax, Shizune onee-san. It's not like I'm the same small kid that I was three years ago. I'm just getting used to this seat. I'm going to sit here in a few years, after all." Shizune face palmed, but smiled underneath. She thought, 'I can certainly imagine you sitting here, Naruto. As long as you get rid of that goofy grin.' Naruto said, "Besides, what's wrong with me sitting here? I am the reason that Lady Tsunade is the Hokage right now, after all."

Shizune said, "Be that as it may, she's not in a good mood. So I would get off that chair if I were you." Naruto said, "Alright, keep your hair on." He got off the chair and sat on the sofa in the corner of the room. Shizune sat down next to him and said, "So, can you tell me how you defeated Danzo? I wasn't there to hear it when you told Lady Tsunade."

Naruto began relaying his story to her. She listened with interest, and growing awe for how strong her little brother had become. As Naruto finished his story, Tsunade burst in and said, "NARUTO! IF YOU'RE IN MY CHAIR…" She saw the two of them sitting on the couch and calmed down immediately. She said, "Huh. You actually managed to get him off the chair this time, Shizune."

The doctor replied, "He's grown quite a lot. And he's become more mature too." She ruffled Naruto's hair fondly and went to stand behind the Hokage as usual. Kakashi and Jiraiya entered the room as well. Kakashi said, "Alright then. How do we do this? Should I take the Blood Oath first, or later?"

Tsunade said, "You might as well as take it now. Shizune, we need some privacy for some time. Why don't you head to the hospital and bring me the patients' records for today?" Shizune nodded and took off.

Kakashi took off his shirt. He sliced his thumb quickly and inscribed the kanji for honor on his chest. It faded away into his chest. He said, "I, Kakashi Hatake, swear on honor of this Blood Oath, that I will not reveal any topic which is to be discussed now, to anyone, and will only discuss it with the Fifth Hokage, Master Jiraiya, and Naruto. Should I fail to keep my promise, I shall lose the knowledge of all these topics, and never be able to recall them again."

Tsunade nodded, and Kakashi put his shirt and jacket back on. Jiraiya said, "Naruto, do you want to begin?" Naruto grinned and leaned back on the couch. He closed his eyes and said, "You thought of it, Pervy Sage. I'd rather Kakashi sensei hears it from you."

Kakashi said heavily, "I can't believe it, Naruto. Did you honestly get this strong so fast?" Naruto grinned and said, "Why's it so hard to believe, sensei? After all, you became quite strong in a few years too." Kakashi said, "Yeah, but not to this level. You may very well be the strongest ninja in the village right now."

Naruto replied, "Not yet, Kakashi sensei. I think that you, Pervy Sage and a couple others are still a good match for me." Kakashi gave him his eye smile. He then looked at his watch, and gasped, "Oh no! I'm going to be late! I gotta run, Naruto, see you later!"

Naruto watched as Kakashi ran off, and thought, 'Since when has he bothered about getting late?' He looked at Tsunade and said, "I guess I should get going now. Unless there's anything else?" Tsunade shook her head and Jiraiya said, "Hey Naruto, let's have a spar in Sage Mode." Naruto grinned and said, "Bring it on, Pervy Sage."

A few minutes later, Jiraiya and Naruto were on a training field on the outskirts of the village. Jiraiya was in Sage Mode as well as Naruto. Fukasaku said, "Jiraiya boy, I would be a little careful if I was you. This boy has so much raw power, that even I was overwhelmed by his fighting style. Not to mention that he has mastered Sage Jutsu to perfection."

Jiraiya smiled and said, "Yes, he has, and I'm proud of it. That's my student, after all." Naruto charged, and Jiraiya prepared himself. The blonde teen fired off a rapid series of punches, none of which seemed to connect with Jiraiya. However, the old sage still was forced to dodge every one, as the punches were extended into the air by the nature energy. The pervert thought, 'Naruto's got a pretty good grasp on Frog Kumite. He's even faster than I anticipated.'

Just then, as Jiraiya went to land a punch of his own, another Naruto erupted out of nowhere with a Rasengan. Jiraiya jumped backwards to avoid getting hit and said, "Stop, Naruto."

Naruto stopped in a midair jump and landed. He said, "What happened, Pervy Sage?" Jiraiya bonked him on the head and said, "Do you even know the meaning of a spar? A spar is a non-lethal fight between to people just to test their unarmed hand to hand combat skills. You do NOT use jutsus in such a form of fight."

Naruto said, "It doesn't matter, Pervy Sage. You would have hardly felt that, with your Sage Mode." Jiraiya said, "It doesn't matter whether I feel it or not, the question is of ethics and morals. This is extremely important. Whenever anyone invites you to spar, it is not for hurting you. It is for testing you."

Naruto pondered over that. Then he said, "Alright. Let's continue now, before I run out of nature energy." Jiraiya nodded and Naruto waited this time. Jiraiya came in with an axe kick, and Naruto blocked it with his right hand, leaving him to attack with a left uppercut. Jiraiya took it to his right shoulder, and then launched off Naruto's right hand, coming down for an overhead kick. Naruto thought, 'Why's he playing around with kicks?'

The knucklehead narrowly dodged the kick and decided to try one of his own. He ducked down and tried to sweep Jiraiya's legs with a sweep kick, and noticed that his kick was not being extended by nature energy. He thought, 'The old man doesn't want to hurt me.' He smiled inwardly at the subtle show of affection and then said, "Hey, Pervy Sage, if you want to really test me, then stop holding back."

Jiraiya nodded. The two of them continued to battle it out, stopping only to let Naruto replenish his nature energy. A couple of hours later, they were both bruised and battered. Naruto was still looking much better, thanks to his accelerated healing, and Jiraiya hadn't suffered too much because of his body strength increasing via the nature energy. But they both looked from the surface as though they had just come out of a war.

Naruto said, "I guess that's enough testing, Pervy Sage. I've still not recovered fully from my fight with Danzo. And using a lot of nature energy does tire me out." Jiraiya wiped his brow and said, "Tell me about it. Alright, we'll stop here. I must say, you've really outdone yourself, Naruto. I couldn't even begin to think of all the power you can wield, with Sage Mode on top of it."

Naruto nodded and Jiraiya said, "Alright, let's go to Ichiraku's. My treat for you surpassing me." Naruto shouted, "Hell yeah!" He began to take off, but Jiraiya said, "Hey, slow it down, alright!" Naruto looked at the limp in the old sage's foot, and said, "I didn't think I hit you so hard, Pervy Sage. What's the matter?"

Jiraiya said, "As hard as it is to believe, I am getting old, Naruto. I've lost a step in the last couple of years or so." Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder, and they vanished.

Naruto entered Ichiraku's, and Teuchi smiled at him. He said, "Hey, Naruto! I heard you got into a fight with a village Elder. How come you're not dead yet?" Naruto said, "Way to go with that statement, old man. Anyway, Danzo was a traitor to the village, and I was authorized by the other elders and the Hokage to take care of him."

Teuchi said, "I knew Danzo. He used to come in sometimes for ramen. I never really liked him too. Always so cold. But then, he used to come in with the Third, so I couldn't really turn him away." Naruto said, "I know. The Third was the one who brought me here for the first time, after all."

Teuchi said, "So, the usual then?" Naruto nodded and Jiraiya said, "I'm sitting here too, you know." Teuchi said, "Sorry, Jiraiya-san. What will you have?" Jiraiya said, "A normal bowl of pork ramen." Teuchi nodded and disappeared inside.

Jiraiya and Naruto began to speak about Danzo. Jiraiya was telling him about the time when Danzo had tried to kill the Third Hokage, when their food came. Naruto and Jiraiya thanked Teuchi for the food and tucked in.

Half an hour, and in Naruto's case, twenty bowls of ramen later, they both exited the restaurant, and Jiraiya said, "I see you've still not lost your giant appetite for ramen." Naruto shook his head and said, "I never will."

The old man said, "Okay, I guess this is it. I need to go now. Tsunade has an assignment for me, and you know that I'd rather face a lion than be late for it." Naruto grinned and asked, "What is this assignment?" Jiraiya shook his head and said, "Can't tell you that, at least not right now. Maybe if I'm successful in the mission."

Naruto nodded and said, "Well, good luck, then. I'll see you around." Jiraiya smiled and said, "I have no doubt you will. You're not getting rid of me that easily." Then he said seriously, "I'm proud of you, Naruto. You've exceeded everyone's expectations. I'm sure that you will be the leader of this village in the future. Your father would have been proud of you too."

He bid goodbye to Naruto and vanished. Naruto looked up at the sky. He thought, 'My father. I hope I find out who it is, someday.' Then he realized that he had not met Ino for quite a while and decided to hurry home.

As Naruto reached home, he saw Ino on the balcony, watering her plants. He waved up at her and she waved back. Naruto headed up and found the door open. Ino said, "Wow, you've been gone a while. I wasn't expecting the meeting to go so long. What happened?"

Naruto started telling her his story. Ino listened with increasing surprise. As Naruto finished his story, she concluded, "So, one of the elders is no more, huh. And the leader of the Root too. I wonder who will take his place." Naruto said, "I think Lady Tsunade is going to disband the Root. The civilians know about the Foundation now, and they are not happy."

Ino nodded and said, "I don't doubt them. After all, no one would like finding out that the village they love so much hides dirty secrets from them."

Naruto said, "Anyway, that's that dealt with. I was quite surprised at how well the old man fought. I'd say that I would have a much tougher time even holding up against him if he was at his prime." Ino said, "Whatever, he's gone now. Let's go out somewhere, I'm bored." Naruto agreed.

The duo went out for a dinner to a restaurant which Ino had been visiting since her childhood. She asked Naruto, "How come you've never been here?"

Naruto said darkly, "You think I didn't try? Ino, there's a reason why I love Ichiraku's so much, apart from the ramen. It's because old man Teuchi was the only person to ever allow me into his restaurant when I was little. All the other restaurant owners used to shun me away, say rude things to me, or even beat me up. I couldn't handle it anymore. One day, I had been thrown out of a restaurant down the street from Ichiraku's. Teuchi was making a couple of deliveries and he saw me crying. He asked me why I was crying and when I told him, he took me to his shop and gave me a hot bowl of ramen, free of cost. It's from that time that I started loving ramen, not just because it is tasty, but because it reminds me that there are people in the world who love me as I am, not for the monster that is held within me."

Ino sat in silence throughout this speech. She noticed the tears at the edge of Naruto's eyes and thought sadly, 'If I had only known all of this before, I could have tried to change it.' She said, "I'm so sorry, Naruto. I should've known all of this." Naruto blinked away his tears and smiled, saying, "It is quite alright, Ino-chan. You know I don't like to talk about my past. And what does it matter anyway? My present is so beautiful, that it simply dwarfs the past."

He held Ino's hand and she smiled. Then she noticed a man staring at Naruto. He was sitting at the bar, clearly drunk, and looking like quite a menace too. He was staring at Naruto as though he couldn't quite place him. Of course, Naruto was wearing civilian clothes that day, so he looked quite different than usual.

Suddenly the man seemed to have recognized Naruto, because he stumbled over to them and said quite loudly, "You've got quite a bit of nerve, coming here and acting like a normal person like the rest of us." Naruto said, "Excuse me?" The man continued, "You get out of here! You don't belong in this place, you monster."

Ino stood up and said, "What is this nonsense?!" The man leered at her before saying, "And you! To think that a fine thing like you would talk to his sort! You should be with our sort." Ino stared daggers at him and said, "I don't know what you mean. Naruto is as much a human as any of us."

The man said, "Don't you know what this is?" Ino retorted, "You mean the boy who saved the village from the One Tailed Beast? Or the one who brought back Lady Tsunade to make her the Fifth Hokage?"

The drunkard didn't seem to realize what she was saying and said, "NO! He's the Nine…" All the people in the restaurant were looking at the commotion and were highly interested in what was going on. Most of them seemed to be glaring at Naruto too, as though he were some sort of rabid animal.

Ino said, "If you complete that sentence, I will kill you, right now." The drunkard laughed and took a step forward. Ino immediately produced a kunai from a hidden pocket in her skirt, and the man backed off. He said, "Whatever. As if I care. He can do whatever he likes. Just remember that I warned you, when you die by his hands itself."

Ino glared at him and took aim. Naruto jumped over the table and caught her hand. She looked back at him in anger and then calmed down at the look in his eyes. He smiled and said, "It's not worth it, Ino." She nodded and they sat down. Naruto said, "This is why I always go to Ichiraku's, or make food at home. I don't like these scenes happening all the time."

The manager of the restaurant walked over and quickly said, "I apologize, Ino-san. I should have had him thrown out, but I was indisposed and it seems like he took the opportunity to talk trash about Naruto-san. I am extremely sorry."

The blonde duo smiled at him and Ino said, "Don't worry about it. It's quite alright." The manager bowed and hurried off. Naruto said, "He's quite different from the manager who used to run things here before. That man was quite strict and arrogant. This guy seems to be polite and friendly. We should come here more often."

Ino said, "As long as no one troubles us, sure."

After dinner, Ino said, "Let's go to the Hokage monument. It's a clear sky, we'll be able to see the village in its night lights." Naruto nodded. They paid the bill, and walked out of the restaurant. Naruto held Ino's hand and she put her head on his shoulder. They walked off, slowly and happily.

Ino took a deep breath as she sat on the Fourth Hokage's head with Naruto. Just then, a cold breeze blew by, and she shivered slightly. Naruto took off his coat and draped it around his shoulders. She thanked him and they sat quietly for a while, simply happy by being with each other.

Finally, Ino said, "Hey, I was thinking of the Rasengan. Didn't you complete it by adding wind chakra into it?" Naruto nodded and she said, "Can you add a different type of chakra into it to make a different jutsu? Like lightning chakra or something?" The knucklehead thought about that for a few moments and then said, "I don't know, Ino. It took me ages to do the wind chakra manipulation, even with my shadow clones. And lightning isn't my strongest affinity."

Ino persisted, "But you've already done the training once, so you know what to do. All you have to do is change the type of chakra." Naruto said, "Why the sudden interest in lightning type Rasengans?" Ino looked slightly embarrassed and tapped her fingers in a most Hinata-esque way. Then she realized what she was doing and stopped it. She said, "Well, lightning is my secondary affinity too. I've been an earth style user till now, but recently, I've felt a shift in my chakra affinity towards lightning. I don't know why, but the couple of lightning jutsus I know have really been coming off lately. So, I was wondering if lightning chakra could be added to a Rasengan to make it a strong jutsu like your Rasenshuriken."

Naruto smiled and said, "That's it? Well, you should have said so in the first place! Alright, from tomorrow, I'll start manipulating the Rasengan with lightning chakra!" Ino smiled at his hyperactive mode and said, "Then let's get home. It's getting late, and I'm on patrol duty tomorrow."

Naruto nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder. The two of them disappeared. They reappeared in their house and Ino said, "Alright, time to hit the sack." The two of them got ready for bed, and turned in. Naruto turned off the night lamp and they went to sleep.

The next morning, Naruto woke up, and thought about what Ino had said the other night. He thought, 'Saying it is one thing, but I now remember that Kakashi sensei had told me that he tried to add lightning chakra to the Rasengan and failed. Hmm, I need to get some advice from him regarding that.' He decided to go over to his sensei's house right then, because Kakashi could disappear at any time afterwards.

Naruto got dressed and left the house, keeping a note for Ino. He quickly reached Kakashi's house and knocked on the door. A minute went by and he got impatient, so he knocked again, much harder this time. He pressed his ear against the door and heard a flurry of movement inside. Just as he was about to knock again, he heard Kakashi's voice say, "Coming!"

Kakashi opened the door. His hair was disheveled and he looked quite tired and sleepy. Naruto said, "What's wrong with you, Kakashi sensei? Didn't you get a good night's sleep?" Kakashi said, "No, I was up quite late, reading up some jutsu related scrolls. What happened, Naruto?"

Naruto said, "Well, I know how you can vanish anywhere during the daytime, so I wanted to ask you some things before you could disappear." Kakashi said, "Now wouldn't be the best of times, Naruto. I'm quite tired, and I need some sleep. How about meeting outside the academy at 2PM? I'll be ready then."

Naruto said, "Sure, why not! I'll wait until then. Well, then. I'll see you later, I guess." He gave Kakashi a friendly slap on the right shoulder and disappeared. Kakashi thought, 'What was that about?'

Naruto grinned evilly as he thought, 'Who was that in the room with him? It was definitely a woman, judging by the silhouette. And with purple hair too? Hmm, let's see…' He pondered about it all the way home. As he got home, he saw Sakura heading over and stopped. She said, "Hey, Naruto. I was just on my way over to call you." Naruto asked, "What happened, Sakura?"

The pink haired kunoichi said, "I was wondering if you could have a weapons spar with me. I've not got any training lately with my axe, and I could use a little help." Naruto said, "I don't know, Sakura. I don't think I have enough strength to hold up against you." Sakura looked a little disappointed and he continued, "Why don't you ask Grandma Tsunade?"

She said, "Lady Tsunade has been a little busy lately, with a new treaty being signed between the Leaf and Sand villages. She can't train me right now. Anyway, no problem. I'll ask someone else." She walked off, and Naruto thought, 'Since when has Sakura tried to train with me? She must be really desperate.'

He quickly hopped up the stairs and reached home, where Ino was busy bustling around the kitchen. She greeted him and said, "How'd it go with Kakashi sensei?" He replied, "He wasn't available. **Supposedly**, he'd been up all night reading some NinJutsu scrolls." Ino caught the sarcasm in his voice and said, "So what? You don't think he does that?"

Naruto smirked and said, "Oh, I have no doubt he does. It's just that I caught a glimpse of a silhouette in his room. It was definitely a woman by the shape. And she had purple hair. I'm thinking that Kakashi sensei is hooking up and trying to cover it up. But I can't figure out who it could be."

Ino pondered over that, and the bacon on the stove almost burned. Naruto turned down the flame just in time. She came out of her trance, and took the bacon and eggs outside, to the kitchen table. The two of them sat to eat and Ino suddenly exclaimed, "I know! It must be Yugao-san!"

Naruto spat out the piece of bacon he was eating. Fortunately, it fell onto the plate. He stared at Ino and she nodded, saying, "It has to be her. They were in the ANBU together, and she was his junior." He said, "How on earth do you know this?" She smiled and said, "Remember the mission on the beach? I got to know her then and she told me. I wonder if that is why she told the teacher of that other school that she was in a relationship."

Naruto thought, 'So, Kakashi sensei has been hiding a relationship, has he? Well, I'm going to unhide it, of course!' Ino caught the twinkle in his eyes and said mischievously, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He nodded and the two of them grinned evilly.

At 2PM that afternoon, Naruto reached outside the academy and waited patiently for about two minutes. Then he thought furiously, 'And of course, he doesn't show up. Oh well, I guess if he doesn't go to the mountain, the mountain must go to him.' Naruto disappeared and reappeared at the Memorial Stone, right next to his sensei. Kakashi exclaimed in surprise and then stared at Naruto in surprise.

Naruto said, "Honestly, sensei, if you're not going to be punctual, at least tell me a time which you will actually abide by." Kakashi said, "How on earth did you know where I am?" Naruto grinned and Kakashi suddenly remembered. He looked down at his right shoulder with doubt. He said, "So, you're even faster than I thought. I'm impressed."

Naruto said, "Now, let's get down to business." Kakashi said, "What did you want to ask me?" The fox faced teen replied, "I wanted some information regarding the Rasengan."

The white haired sensei looked surprised at that and said, "What could you possibly want to know about the Rasengan? You've practically done everything with it that you could. You even perfected it to a level that no one else has ever been able to, not even the Fourth Hokage."

Naruto said, "About that… Wasn't the Fourth also a Lightning Style user?" Kakashi nodded and said, "My sensei tried to perfect the Rasengan many times, but always failed, maybe due to external reasons as well as his own time limitations. Becoming the Hokage really took a lot of time from his hands, and he was forced to lead the village into battle quite soon as well. I tried to continue his task, but I was unable to do it as well. I thought no one would be able to ever perfect the Rasengan, but you somehow managed to do it, and I'm proud of you."

Naruto said, "Don't you think that now that I know how to perfect the Rasengan with Wind Style, maybe I could do it with Lightning Style too? After all, lightning is my secondary affinity." Kakashi stared at him in surprise and then said, "That's a brilliant idea, Naruto! Of course! With the knowledge you already possess, you can easily do what I've tried for a long time!"

Naruto nodded and Kakashi said, "How did you come up with this idea?!" The teenager scratched his head and said, "Ino suggested it to me. You see, her affinity is lightning, so she wanted to know if she could infuse her chakra into the Rasengan to make it stronger. But I told her that I didn't know, so she asked me if I could practice it. That's why I decided to ask you about it, since you've already tried it once before."

Kakashi looked totally lost and then said, "But why would Ino ask about infusing chakra into the Rasengan…Unless you mean to say that Ino knows the Rasengan?!"

Naruto puffed out his chest proudly and said, "Yup, I taught it to her. She learnt it in a couple of weeks, no small feat. And she can do it perfectly in one hand from the beginning, unlike me." Kakashi stared in wonder at his student, and wondered whether this was the same clumsy, loudmouthed, immature Naruto who he had bid goodbye three years ago.

Finally, the white haired man found his tongue and said, "Wow, I can't even begin to imagine the surprises you bring with you every time, Naruto. I'm proud of you, and proud that you are my student. Maser Jiraiya taught you well, too." Naruto grinned and said, "So, can you share some tips about how you tried to implement lightning chakra into the Rasengan?" Kakashi nodded and they began to discuss their various strategies…

As they finished speaking, Kakashi looked at his watch and said, "Alright, Naruto. That's about all I know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get going, or else I'll be late." Naruto grinned slyly and said, "Since when have you bothered about being late, sensei?" Kakashi said, "I always have. Just because I don't show it doesn't mean I don't care." He turned to go, and Naruto said, "So, where are you going, anyway?"

Kakashi turned pale. He turned around robotically and said, "Umm…umm…Well, you see… Oh yeah! Gai wanted to challenge me again. So I need to go." Naruto retorted, "And what's with the Umm…umm…Well, you see…?"

The white haired man was sweating bullets now, as he looked into the determined face of his student, and he laughed nervously, saying, "Gotta go, Naruto! I'll tell you later, maybe." Naruto grinned evilly and said, "You know that I can find you anyhow now, right? You wouldn't want me to barge in when you're…let's say, getting busy, would you?"

Kakashi pretended not to hear that and started jumping. Naruto called, "Say hi to Yugao-san for me!" Kakashi's head hit a branch and he staggered. Naruto sniggered and took off. Kakashi got up from the ground and rubbed his head, saying, "Damn that Naruto! How the hell did he know?"

**Author's Note: **Hey, what's up guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you today. I didn't do a note on my last chapter so thought I would do it now. I hope you guys are enjoying my story, and if statistics don't lie, I guess you are. :D

Anyway, I wanted some thoughts from you guys about how you want the story to continue. Obviously I have some things planned, but I wanted to know if you guys want Pein in the story right now, or let it continue as it's going. That would be a major turnover, so I would have to plan differently if most of you guys agree on Pein. Let me know what you think and as usual, Happy Reading!


	32. Chapter 32: Welcome Home

Author's Note: Hey, what is up guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys today, just wanted to point out that this is my longest chapter yet. Thanks for all the support and the follows, it just keeps getting better and better, and I try to do my hardest to write, but I don't have too much time, because of my college and gym. I was stuck for a while on how to do this part, but I think I've got it down pretty nicely, so hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and of course, Happy Reading!

**Chapter 32: Welcome Home**

In the next few days, Naruto and Ino took to following Kakashi around whenever they had time, and tried to catch the white haired Jonin red handed. However, by some trick or the other, Kakashi always used to get away. One day, the two of them were training together at the training grounds, where Ino was working on forming the Rasengan faster, and Naruto was working on creating a lightning infused Rasengan, with varying degrees of failure.

He thought, 'Why is this so much tougher? I thought I already had the jutsu under my control? Isn't this just changing the chakra nature from wind to lightning? Why is it so difficult to control?' Ino walked up to him and offered him a food pill. He shook his head and said, "Food pills are dangerous if you have a lot of chakra and still take one. I am nowhere near low on chakra." She nodded and said, "Have you made any progress?"

Naruto let out a frustrated sigh and said, "No. I don't know why this is turning out to be much more difficult than I thought. My lightning chakra just doesn't compress the way the wind chakra does."

Ino thought out loud, "Maybe the lightning chakra doesn't need to be compressed. Different chakra styles have different ways of being used. I've never seen a lightning release jutsu which needed to be compressed. Mostly, the lightning which forms due to the chakra is just thrust at the enemy, like Kakashi sensei and Sasuke's Chidori. Wind, on the other hand, is only more dangerous if it is compressed and sharpened, like you do with the Rasenshuriken. Maybe that's where you're going wrong."

Naruto stared at her and then shouted, "Of course! I never even thought of that! Give me a minute; I'm going to try it right now." Ino smiled and he began gathering up chakra in his hand. Then he let it dispel and said, "Oh wait, I didn't create a shadow clone." He created one and then began gathering up the normal chakra in his hand again. Once a decent sized Rasengan was created, the clone began adding lightning chakra to it. The Rasengan turned a blinding violet and Ino closed her eyes with the amount of light shining on her eyes.

Naruto stared wide eyed as the Rasengan expanded in front of his eyes, shining even more as it did. The clone stopped adding lightning chakra to it, and dispelled himself. Naruto charged, thrusting the lightning infused orb at a nearby stone, and a huge explosion occurred, throwing the two teens off their feet.

Ino got up and rubbed her head, saying, "What the hell happened, Naruto? Did you do it?" Naruto got up from amidst a pile of earth and shook it off his clothes. He said, "I think so. Let's see what happened." Ino gasped as she saw the huge crated in the ground and said, "We're in for it now, Naruto. Look at the mess you made of this place." Naruto whistled as he saw the damage and said, "It wasn't even at its full power, Ino. I stopped the chakra flow midway because I wanted to test it."

Ino stared at him in amazement and he nodded. She jumped forward into the crater and said, "That's a deep grave for anyone hit by the jutsu, Naruto." He nodded and jumped down with her. He said, "I can't imagine what will happen if I fully power up the jutsu." Ino said, "Well, I think this much damage is enough for the day. We better clean up this place quickly."

She signed quickly and said, "Earth Style: Landslide!" The earth which was lying around after being blasted by Naruto's jutsu started assimilating into the crater which had newly changed the landscape. Ino concentrated, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She kept her jutsu running as long as most of the earth was inside the crater, and then let go of the jutsu. Naruto stared at the ground and said, "It's not complete, Ino."

She nodded and said exhaustedly, "My chakra is low, Naruto. Forming the Rasengan all day takes a toll on my reserves." He nodded and walked up to her. He stood behind her and put his arms on her shoulders. Ino's back shot straight up and her pupils dilated. She gasped, "How much chakra do you have, Naruto?!" He grinned and said, "Enough for the two of us." She let his chakra flow into her, and felt her reserves going back to normal. After she was full, she said, "Alright, Naruto, that's all I can hold. Thanks a lot for the chakra." He nodded and said, "Anytime."

He went to the side and she used her jutsu another time, this time putting all the earth into the crater, and also signed another jutsu to flatten the earth into place. After she was done, she wipes her brow and said, "All done." Naruto said, "Well done, Ino. That's a nice jutsu to have, especially with a guy wildly making Rasengans, as your boyfriend." The two of them laughed and decided to go home for the day.

Jiraiya walked along the road, humming a tune which he had learned from a town in the Hidden Grass village. He reached the temple where he was supposed to be heading to, and waited patiently under the giant oak tree in front of it. A rustle in the leaves caught his attention and he looked up.

Jiraiya smiled and said, "Always trying to surprise me, aren't you? Come on down." The figure jumped down lightly onto the ground and said, "Hardly, Master Jiraiya. I just happened to reach here before you could, and decided to wait up there, in case someone notice me." The old man laughed and said, "It's been some time, huh?" The figure nodded and said, "I expect you want this month's report, hmm?"

Jiraiya looked at him gravely and said, "No, not this time. I'm here on a different mission. It's time for you to return home." The figure moved a little into the light, revealing the black cloak with red clouds. He said, "I thought we've been over this already, Master Jiraiya. I can't leave, not yet. I've yet to find out about Tobi."

Jiraiya shook his head and said, "The situation has radically changed. Did you not hear about it?" The figure shook his head and said, "I've been travelling for quite a while now, so I'm out of touch with the news. What happened?" The pervert replied, "Danzo is dead."

The man in the Akatsuki cloak looked at the Sage in amazement and said, "What?! How did this happen?" Jiraiya said, "Naruto killed him in battle."

The man sat down, so suddenly, that it seemed almost comical, if not for the seriousness of the situation. He said, "How? And how was he even allowed to?" Jiraiya sat down with him and said, "It seems that our friend Danzo decided to take matters of the Hokage into his own hands. He tried to confine Naruto to the village. Naruto disagreed, of course, and Danzo tried to use the Kotoamatsukami against Naruto to make him take a Blood Oath. Somehow, Naruto was able to use the Kyuubi to get out of the GenJutsu and fought Danzo."

The man said, "Still, a ninja of the village isn't allowed to touch a single Elder of the village." Jiraiya grinned slightly and said, "Tsunade was peeved when she found out about the Sharingan, and the other Elders also agreed with her. They accused Danzo of treason for robbing the Sharingan and also for using the First Hokage's cells taken from Orochimaru. They told Naruto to take him out, which he gladly did."

The figure stood up again and so did Jiraiya. The man said, "So, Naruto has shown promise, after all. I always wondered what would happen if he had not been a Jinchuuriki, but I guess it turned out for the best." Jiraiya nodded and the man continued, "So, coming back to the original topic, how does this apply to me returning?" Jiraiya said, "We had a meeting of the Elders and a meeting of all the clan leaders. They have decided to officially announce that the Root Foundation will be disbanded."

The man nodded and said, "I imagine that the death of Danzo will have stirred up rumors in the village." Jiraiya said, "Not just rumors, the entire village has learnt about the Root and some, if not most of its dirty acts." The man said, "I still don't see how this includes me anywhere."

Jiraiya said, "Of course you don't. I haven't told you yet. The Root is **officially**," he put up two fingers on each hand to emphasize, "being disbanded. Unofficially, of course, there's a different scene." The Akatsuki informant nodded and said, "Yes, of course. You cannot get rid of this foundation, when it has helped cover up so many dirty secrets of the village." Jiraiya nodded and said, "Which brings me to my conclusion of this topic, the Hokage has decided for you to lead the Root Foundation from now on. And of course, the Root will be modified according to the Hokage's wishes from now on."

The informant looked at the old man in surprise and astonishment. He said, "Me? Do you honestly believe that I will be able to…or even allowed to enter the village, for that matter?" Jiraiya smiled and said, "No doubt the ninjas will be hostile towards you at first. But remember that the Hokage is fully supportive of you. You don't have to lead this life anymore. You can help out the village, which was your dream from the very beginning, wasn't it?"

The man looked at him and said, "Of course it was. It still is, and it always will be. But don't you think that you might have not thought of everything that's at stake here? First, the Akatsuki will never let me go voluntarily. I am too important for that. Second, who will take my place if I leave? We need to have informants in the Akatsuki, after all. And third, the secret of Tobi remains a secret. Also, consider the fact that I'm an S-Ranked criminal, which is sure to come to the notice of everyone I'm supposed to lead in the Root."

Jiraiya said, "Don't worry about it. We already have a man we are going to insert into the Akatsuki ranks. He is temporarily the leader of the Root, until you return. He is well versed in the arts of stealth and spying, as he was raised in the Root foundation. But he was transferred to ANBU a few years ago, and has undying loyalty to the village, just as you do. And like I said, the Hokage is backing you this time. You're not on your own. And for that matter, you'll never be seen by the ninjas of the village once you get your mask, will you?"

The man said, "There's something else."

Jiraiya said, "What else could be the reason that you aren't willing to return?"

The man hesitated, but replied, "I...I'm no longer a single man, Master Jiraiya. I have a wife and child."

Jiraiya stared at him for a full minute. He said, "Are you serious right now?" The man nodded and Jiraiya said, "Why the HELL didn't you tell us this before? Do you know what it means for you to have a family?" The man nodded and Jiraiya said, "This is too much for me to handle by myself. I need to inform Tsunade of this right away. Hold on."

The man gave a small smile as Jiraiya fumbled through his uniform for his phone. He found it and dialed up Tsunade. She picked up and said, "What news? Did he say yes?" Jiraiya sighed heavily and said, "He says he is married and also has a child."

A resounding "WHAT?!" blew into Jiraiya's ear and temporarily made him go deaf. He placed the phone to his other ear and replied, "Yeah, that's what he's saying. I'm in front of him right now, do you want to talk to him?" The answer was evidently a yes, because he gave the phone to the man, and started rubbing his ear.

The man spoke to the Hokage for a few minutes and then handed the phone back to Jiraiya. He said, "So, what's the decision, Tsunade?" She replied, "I've told him to come back, and bring the family back as well. We'll have to see what to do now, this has certainly changed a lot of things."

Jiraiya disconnected the call and said, "So, you ready to come home, then?" The man nodded and said, "I'll have to make a swift exit from the Akatsuki, though. I don't want to think of what will happen when they find out that they've lost another member of the organization. And they won't be likely to give up so easily either. I have no doubt that they will chase me. I may need some backup this time, Master Jiraiya."

The old man nodded wisely and said, "I've already thought of a person who can help out. He knows about this plan and is ready to greet you back with open arms." The man said, "We'll talk in three days' time. I need to prepare for my homecoming." The two of them nodded to each other and shook hands. The man vanished and Jiraiya thought, 'Be careful, friend.'

Naruto said, "Hey, Ino. I'm going to ask Kakashi sensei to come and see the Lightning Style Rasengan today. Wanna join me? You can help me put the place back to normal." Ino nodded and the two of them left the house. Naruto began walking to his sensei's house. Ino followed him, saying, "So, did you work out any plan about getting the Lightning Rasengan to full power?" Naruto nodded and said, "I'll do the same thing that I did with the Rasenshuriken. I'll try to bend the lightning chakra into a shape. We'll just have to wait and see what happens when I try it."

Ino nodded and they continued talking about the Rasengan until they reached Kakashi's house. Naruto knocked and waited. A minute later, Kakashi opened the door. It was a mark of their relationship that Ino didn't fall head over heels in love at the sight of his unmasked face. Kakashi said, "What is it, Naruto? Did you need me for something?"

Naruto beamed and nodded, saying, "I did it, sensei. I infused the Rasengan with lightning chakra." Kakashi stared at him in amazement, and awe. His mouth opened in a perfect little comical 'o'. He finally said, "How did you do it so fast? It's been like two days!"

He let them in and they sat on the couch. Ino said, "You have a nice house, Kakashi sensei." He smiled in appreciation and then sat in front of them. He said, "How did you do it, Naruto?" Naruto said, "Like I said, I had already done this with the Rasenshuriken. So I simply changed the chakra nature to lightning style instead of wind style. I wasn't getting it at first, because like the wind style, I was trying to compress the chakra. But Ino made me realize that different chakra natures have different ways to use. That's how I was able to create the Lightning Style Rasengan."

Kakashi stared at him with more respect than he ever had before, and said, "I assume you came here to show me the jutsu." Naruto nodded enthusiastically. Kakashi said, "Give me five minutes to get dressed. We'll head to the clearing outside the village where we trained."

Naruto nodded. Kakashi disappeared into his bedroom, and Naruto quickly whispered, "Now's your chance, Ino! See if there's anything around that might relate to him and Yugao-san." Ino nodded and activated a GenJutsu. She caught sight of a bouquet of flowers and said, "These flowers…"

Naruto said, "What about them?" Ino deactivated the GenJutsu and said, "These flowers are sold only in my mom's flower shop, I'm sure of it. They are extremely rare and I don't think that anyone else in the village sells them."

Naruto said, "So, you're saying that Kakashi sensei bought the flowers from your mom's shop?" Ino shook her head and replied, "No, baka. I'm saying that Yugao-san must have bought the flowers from my mom's shop and given them to Kakashi sensei." Naruto nodded and was about to say something, but Kakashi entered the room, strapping on a pouch to his hip. He said, "Let's go, Naruto, Ino." The pair nodded, and Ino gave Naruto a sly look. He nodded, and she said, "Hey, Kakashi sensei? Where'd you get these flowers from? They're pretty rare."

Kakashi looked at the flowers which she was pointing at and blanched. He stammered, "Well…they're umm…they're from one of my friends." Ino retorted, "You do know that these flowers symbolize love and affection, don't you?" Kakashi grew white and said, "Umm, well, what can I say? She may like me."

Ino said, "Kakashi sensei, I'm not an interrogator for nothing. These flowers can only be bought in my shop from this village. Who is it? I told Naruto it must be Yugao-san, but I wasn't positive. Is it her? Of course, I can always go and ask her." Kakashi paled even further and sat down on the couch. He said, "Fine. I guess there's no hiding it from you. Yes, it is Yugao."

Naruto punched the air and hooted, "I KNEW IT!" Kakashi said, "How?" He grinned, and replied, "The other day, when I came here early, to ask you for advice and you told me to meet you at 2PM, I saw a silhouette of a female in here, with purple hair. And the only ones I know with purple hair who you know are either Yugao, or Anko. And I didn't want to put money on the latter."

Kakashi said crossly, "Alright, fine. Just, just don't go shouting it out to everyone, will you?" Naruto and Ino nodded. Kakashi said, "Then let's go. I have a jutsu to watch and be ashamed of myself for not being able to complete it."

Naruto looked a little embarrassed at that and said, "Sensei, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings…" Kakashi smiled at him and then put up his mask. He said, "Oh, don't worry, Naruto. I'm proud of you. I was just kidding. Lighten up." Naruto nodded and they left the apartment. Kakashi locked the door and then left a note. Naruto said, "For Yugao-san?" Kakashi nodded shortly, still not happy about the revelation.

They soon reached the clearing where they had trained and Kakashi said, "Alright, Naruto. This is it. Show me the jutsu." Naruto nodded and produced a shadow clone. He held out his hand and the spiraling orb began to appear in his hand. For demonstration purposes, Naruto kept the power of the Rasengan down to around 70% of its full power. The clone began adding lightning chakra into the orb, and it started shining violet. Kakashi took his headband up and viewed the shining orb with his Sharingan, closing his normal eye.

Naruto's clone kept adding lightning chakra until Naruto sent him a signal to stop. He dispelled, and Naruto held the lightning infused orb above his head. The Rasengan was now a bright violet, around a foot in diameter, and was crackling faintly at the edges. Kakashi noticed the threads around the Rasengan at the end were laced with a lot more lightning energy, and asked Naruto if he was doing that or whether it was the nature of the jutsu.

Naruto replied, "I guess it's the jutsu itself. I've not yet tried to bend it into any particular shape or anything yet." Kakashi nodded and said, "Hit that boulder over there with the Rasengan." Naruto said, "Be careful, the last time I did, Ino and I blew back with the force of the jutsu. Although I've kept the power less, I don't know the end effect." Kakashi nodded.

Naruto struck the boulder with the Rasengan. There was a moment's pause, in which nothing seemed to happen, and then the boulder blew apart as though there was a stick of dynamite in it. A large crated opened up in the ground and Naruto again flew back with the sheer force of the jutsu.

Kakashi and Ino had firmly implanted their feet into the ground, and Ino had sent chakra into her feet to keep her in one place. As she looked up, she saw Naruto hurtling towards her. She managed to catch him just in time, but tumbled back by the force. The two of them rolled on the ground, coming to a stop with Naruto on top of Ino. She blushed and he got up. Kakashi smirked at them. Then he said, "That was amazing, Naruto. I can't even begin to imagine the power of the full lightning infused Rasengan." Naruto nodded and said, "I'll try molding it into a shape, like I did with the Rasenshuriken, sensei." Kakashi said, "Please do. I want to see that jutsu perfect as much as you do, maybe more." Naruto nodded and said, "Alright, now that that's dealt with, we should get going. I have no doubt that Grandma Tsunade will be happy to hear about this jutsu."

Kakashi nodded and the three of them went to the Ninja Ops. Tsunade heard Naruto's story with increasing surprise and amazement. She said, "Well, I guess you've just mastered another S-Rank Jutsu, huh, Naruto? You never cease to amaze me." Naruto said, "I wouldn't say master. I've yet to give it a shape and name." Tsunade said, "To think that the Rasengan could have not one but two final forms! This is incredible. I wonder what Minato would say right now if he saw them." Kakashi said, "I have no doubt that he would be proud that someone was able to complete the Rasengan, a dream of his from the beginning."

Tsunade nodded and then said, "It's good you're here, Kakashi. I needed to speak to you about that matter. You know, the one we spoke about the day before yesterday?" Kakashi nodded. Tsunade said, "Naruto and Ino, you may go now. Naruto, make sure you master the jutsu soon, I will want to see it in action." Naruto nodded and he and his significant other exited the room.

Tsunade said, "It's tomorrow, Kakashi. You will need to be at the location at precisely the right time. I have two Root members, including Tenzo along with you. We cannot risk his death, or his family's death. Have you got it?" Kakashi said, "Don't worry, Milady. I would gladly sacrifice myself to ensure that he reaches back safely. If I could be so bold as to say it, he is worthy enough to be Hokage, after all."

Tsunade nodded and said, "I have no doubt that he could." Kakashi said, "What about Master Jiraiya? Is he going to be there?" Tsunade nodded. She said, "Jiraiya is going to take care of the initial stages. We need to secure the child, we do not want the Akatsuki getting their hands on it." Kakashi said, "Funny that he never spoke about them? Do you think that the Akatsuki might know about it?" Tsunade said, "I don't think so. If he wants to keep something a secret, consider it as a secret well kept."

Kakashi nodded and then said, "I'll take my leave then, Milady. If I'm going up against the Akatsuki tomorrow, I need to be well prepared." Tsunade turned around to look out the window, and said, "Best of luck, Kakashi." He said, "Thank you, Milady." He left the room and Shizune entered. She said, "Milady, I have received the report from the Root Foundation. Tenzo and Sai are ready to leave for the mission. What is your final decision?"

Tsunade turned around and said, "Let Jiraiya know that they are ready. And inform Kakashi as well. I need to make sure that he knows the people who are with him." Shizune hesitated and the Hokage asked, "What is it, Shizune?" The assistant replied, "Well, Milady, it's just that I feel…Don't you think that we should send someone other than Sai for this mission? He isn't exactly one of the most powerful ninjas we have."

Tsunade smiled and replied, "Don't worry, Shizune. Sai is perfect for this mission. His art is one of the reasons that I am sending him. You see, if there is any sudden attack, he can simply conjure a bird to carry our persons safely here. And he also is skilled at ranged fighting, without getting injured. Lastly, he is of the Root, and is loyal to a fault. I doubt that he would give less than his best. And, you are assuming that there absolutely will be a fight, while it is not sure yet."

Shizune nodded and said, "However, do you believe that the Akatsuki would let him go so easily?" Tsunade retorted, "Why do you think I sent a Wood Style user, a candidate for Hokage, a Sage and a Root member well versed in killing for this mission?"

Shizune looked embarrassed and Tsunade said, "Don't worry, Shizune. I'm sure everything will turn out fine." The medic ninja nodded and left the room. Tsunade thought, 'This is turning out to be a drag. I hope that this is over soon.'

Naruto and Ino reached home and he opened the door, then stood by to let her in, saying, "Ladies first." Ino smiled and said, "What's come over you all of a sudden?" He replied, "I don't know, myself. I guess inventing another jutsu just made me happier, and it's only thanks to you that I could do it." She said, "Well, I only suggested the thought because I wanted to try it out as well."

Naruto nodded and said, "Still, it gave me a pretty awesome jutsu. Now, if only I can perfect it soon…" Ino put her finger over his mouth and shushed him. She said, "No more talking about jutsus. Let's watch a romantic movie or something." Naruto said, "Sure. But I was thinking of having dinner first. We could cozy up later, having ice cream while watching the movie." Ino nodded and the two of them began preparing dinner.

Two red eyes with triplicate tomoe and a slit in middle stared in surprise at the destruction that they were led to see. Kabuto said, "This is slightly unexpected. Did you know that something like this could have happened?"

Orochimaru's voice replied, from within Sasuke Uchiha's body, "I should have known. This hideout was compromised some time ago, but I never thought that the Leaf ninjas would have taken advantage of my death to totally destroy it." Kabuto said, "Lord Orochimaru, what should we do now?" The serpent grinned and said, "Don't worry. We can rebuild this place. For now, we must continue. I found out that Itachi will be heading through here in a day. We will need to ambush him, make sure that he never reaches his destination."

Kabuto said, "It's not going to be that easy, you know. I heard that he travels everywhere with his team-mate, Kisame Hoshigaki. The guy heralded throughout the Elemental Nations as the 'Tail-less Bijuu.' How would we match up against the two of them?"

Orochimaru laughed a high cold laugh and replied, "That's why I have you here, Kabuto. I wouldn't dream of going up against the two of them on my own." Kabuto said, "You think I can hold up against that monster?" Orochimaru said, "Well, you could hold up against Naruto Uzumaki, so why not?"

Kabuto scoffed and said, "Uzumaki is a child. Moreover, he is Leaf ninja. They are not trained to kill from when they are Genin, unlike the Mist shinobi. And even then, Naruto doesn't have the ferocity of Kisame. Don't forget the Samehada in the mix. We truly have to be careful tomorrow."

Orochimaru said, "Of course we do. I got this body on a condition and I'm not going to let it go so easily." His eyes narrowed as he thought about it.

_Sasuke travelled through a deserted camp, walking wearily. He asked himself why he carried on. A voice in his head suddenly said, "Look at you. Dreaming to be an avenger. Now you're nothing more than a scavenger. Sneaking around camps of bandits, stealing food merely to survive." Sasuke wondered what this strange voice was. He vaguely remembered the low tone, and the slithery voice. Then he realized. He turned his attention inwards, and focused on the soul cage inside his body. Orochimaru looked up at his eye, with malice on his snake like face._

_Sasuke said, "What do you want?" Orochimaru said, "Well, it's more of a matter of what I don't want. I don't want you to die. If you die, I die, after all. You're like my Jinchuuriki now." Sasuke said, "Leave me alone, I don't have anything to talk to you about."_

_Orochimaru said, "Wait. I have a proposal."_

_Sasuke's eyes turned back towards him, and his voice echoed, "What is it?"_

_The serpent Sannin replied, "If you return control of your body to me, I swear that I will kill Itachi Uchiha for you, within six months. If I don't then you can have control back to your body. If I do, then you surrender your body to me."_

_Sasuke laughed and laughed. He finally stopped laughing and said, "Why would I ever do that? You were not even able to defeat me. Nor were you ever able to defeat Itachi. Why should I believe for a moment, that you can do it now?" Orochimaru hissed in anger._

_Then he calmed down and said, "There are a few reasons for that. First, you took me by surprise. I hadn't expected the Sharingan to work in that way. So, it was merely luck that you got away with. Second, when I was trying to defeat Itachi, I was trying to capture him, not kill him. You see, it is infinitely tougher to capture someone alive than kill him instantly. However, this time I do not have that constraint."_

_Sasuke's eye stared at him and he continued, bolstered by the teen's silence, "Also, if I have your body, then this time, I will have the Sharingan with me too. And I have no doubt that between the Sharingan and my own progress since the last time I face him, I will be able to defeat Itachi Uchiha."_

_Sasuke said, "Why should I believe you? You have never played fair before." Orochimaru shrugged and said, "What have you to lose? You've lost your village. You've lost you mentor. You don't have anywhere to go without being branded as a criminal. And it was your life's purpose to kill Itachi, was it not?"_

_Sasuke pondered over that and Orochimaru sat down in his cage. Then Sasuke said, "A Blood Oath. Take a Blood Oath over what you said, about defeating Itachi. And I give you three months, no more." Orochimaru protested, "That is too less time. I need to get used to using the Sharingan. I will need at least six months." Sasuke said, "Alright, fair enough. Six months, no more. Take the Blood Oath, now."_

_Orochimaru drew the kanji for honor on his chest and said, "I, Orochimaru, swear that I will kill Itachi Uchiha within six months of gaining possession of this body. If I am unable to do so, then I will be confined to this cage forever." Orochimaru looked at the eye and said, "Happy now? Now, I want you to take a Blood Oath as well. It is only fair."_

_Sasuke laughed and said, "As if I would be stupid enough to do that. I'm not going to fall for your tricks anymore, you serpent. At any time I want, I will take back control of my body." Orochimaru roared in anger at being tricked. He said, "I swear that I will find a way to kill you, SASUKE UCHIHA!"_

_Sasuke laughed._

Orochimaru said darkly, "That brat is quite the genius, though. I must defeat Itachi quickly, or he can take back control at any time. Kabuto, have you fully recovered yet, or not?" The serpent's apprentice nodded and felt his left arm, and said, "Thanks to you, I was able to regrow the arm quickly. I was dead for sure otherwise."

Orochimaru retorted, "If only I had a little more time to prepare…Well, anyway, this is it. Get some rest, we have a fierce battle tomorrow."

Kabuto nodded.

Itachi Uchiha walked through the woods, with Kisame next to him. He said, "We must make this quick. I don't want to spend any time more than necessary. I have to finish things up quickly." Kisame said, "Or course, Itachi." They increased their pace slightly.

Kisame suddenly stopped and grinned, showing sharp teeth. He said, "Well, well. What do you know? So, you survived after all, Sasuke." He turned around and faced Sasuke and Kabuto. Itachi turned around as well. Kisame said, "I heard that Kabuto had been defeated by that Nine Tailed Jinchuuriki. Well, I guess he didn't kill you, did he?"

Kabuto replied smoothly, "He came closer than anyone ever has before. However, I was able to get away, and with Lord Orochimaru's help, I was able to survive." Kisame looked moderately surprised and said, "Orochimaru? That traitor is still alive? Didn't Sasuke kill him?"

Orochimaru replied, "No, he didn't. Didn't Itachi tell you that I had been turned into a Jinchuuriki by Sasuke?" Itachi looked a little surprised and shocked as well. He said, "Sasuke…To think that you would give up your body to this traitor just to kill me…You are really foolish, little brother."

Orochimaru began to speak, but suddenly, his throat constricted, and Sasuke's voice came out, clearly. He said, "Itachi. You beat me the last time, but this time, I will get revenge. I have Orochimaru here this time. And we both have the cumulative experience to defeat you."

Itachi said, "You still don't get it. You cannot defeat me, whether you use the serpent or not. I defeated you the last time, I can do it this time as well." Sasuke said, "I have nothing to say to you. Good bye, brother." He rescinded control to Orochimaru, and the slit came back in the red eyes of Sasuke.

Orochimaru said, "I would rather like to fight Itachi one on one, Kisame. So why don't you let us be, while Kabuto can fight you." Kisame looked at Itachi, who nodded. He said, "Fine. But I hope Sasuke remembers what happened to his team-mates, who faced me before." A frown entered Sasuke's face, and Orochimaru regained complete control from him. He looked at Sasuke in the soul cage and said, "I'm going to need complete control if I want to defeat Itachi now. Please try not to meddle."

Sasuke sat down and said, "Let me have a view of the battle. I can provide you with information." Orochimaru agreed to that and the front of the cage turned transparent. Then an image flickered, almost as though a television had been turned on. Sasuke, sitting inside the cage, could see the world outside from his physical body's view. He sat and waited.

Orochimaru readied himself, and Kisame unhooked Samehada. He pointed it at Kabuto and said, "You better not think that I'm some pushover because you could hold up against that Naruto brat." Kabuto created two chakra scalpels and said, "Oh, don't worry about that. I won't make that mistake again."

A leaf fell to the ground between them, and as it touched the ground, Kabuto and Orochimaru charged. Orochimaru swung a right hook towards Itachi's face, and as he thought, Itachi ducked underneath it, allowing the serpent to bring his knee up to Itachi's jaw. However, Itachi was already moving out of the way, and he caught Orochimaru's knee in his right hand, while he quickly jabbed his left hand towards the Sannin's stomach. The body thief managed to evade the blow by gently twisting out of the way, and freed himself of Itachi's grip at the same time.

Kabuto aimed a strike at Kisame, who dodged and then vanished. Kabuto looked confused, until he saw Kisame standing a few feet away. Kisame said, "I think we'll need a little more room, now that Itachi has started fighting." Kabuto followed him.

Itachi quickly signed and said, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu." A huge fireball headed towards the serpent, but he didn't hesitate for a second. He quickly signed and said, "Earth Style: Mud Surge Jutsu." A large mire of mud rose up and absorbed the fireball.

Itachi said, "Interesting. So I see that you have become stronger than the last time I fought you." Orochimaru said, "The last time, I was trying to capture you. But now that I have your brother's body, I need not do the same." He quickly charged in again, and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks. Itachi deftly dodged all of them and said, "You will have to do much more than that to hurt me."

Orochimaru grinned and said, "That? That was just a warm up."

He brought his hand down and it began crackling. Itachi said, "So, you can use Sasuke's techniques as well. However, that still won't help you." Orochimaru said, "We'll see about that." He charged towards Itachi, and as he reached, the older man caught his hand and stopped him cold. Orochimaru looked into Itachi's eyes. Itachi said, "Big mistake."

Orochimaru found himself in a contrasting world. He said, "What is this?" Itachi replied, "This is your doom." Orochimaru looked to his right to see Itachi standing there with a torch of fire. He tried to move but found himself tied down to a medical bed. Itachi said, "You've spent your life testing other people, trying experiments on them, not caring whether they lived or died. I guess, this time I get to do it to you. It is over."

Just then, Sasuke's voice came out from Orochimaru's body and said, "Not so fast, Itachi." Itachi stopped in surprise, and the slit in Sasuke's eyes receded. Sasuke said, "Remember the last time you tried this?" His eyes suddenly transformed into the Mangekyo and Itachi paled slightly. The world turned normal and Itachi said, "I guess my Tsukuyomi has no use in this fight." Sasuke nodded and gave back control to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru didn't express it, but was inwardly thankful to Sasuke for saving him the pain that Itachi could have inflicted on him. He said, "Shall we continue?" Itachi gestured that he should begin. Orochimaru again started fighting, and Itachi frowned. He thought, 'I've seen Orochimaru fight before. He has never fought so actively. He mostly doesn't move his legs so much. What's with him?'

Orochimaru suddenly hopped back and let out a fireball. It caught Itachi unexpected, and he jumped to the side a little late, earning himself a few singes on his Akatsuki robes. He said, "Well done. However, that is still not enough. What else do you have?" Orochimaru frowned, and said, "Are you trying to mock me?"

Itachi replied, "No. I'm just not taking this fight seriously. There's a big difference." Orochimaru hissed, "You better watch out, Itachi. You're not going to win this time." He continued to attack, but Itachi was able to dodge everything. Orochimaru mixed in a few jutsus, but they were not fast enough to hinder Itachi.

The Leaf rogue-nin smirked and said, "It seems that you still cannot win, Sasuke. Not even with the serpent's help." Orochimaru said, "You're not in a position to talk, Itachi. You haven't even been able to land a single blow on me till now." Itachi retorted, "That's because I don't need to. I can defeat you without ever needing to touch you at all."

Orochimaru thought, 'What is with him? Why isn't he taking this seriously? Does he have some sort of plan? Or is he just mocking me?' Sasuke looked outside and noticed Itachi's eyes. He said, "Orochimaru, Itachi's eyes are getting weaker. I can see that they are no longer as bright as they used to be. He's even deactivated the Sharingan right now." Orochimaru said, "So, do you think he's attempting to stall us?" Sasuke nodded and replied, "I think he's waiting for Kisame to show up."

Orochimaru took up a fighting stance and said, "I can't let that happen now, can I? I guess I just have to kick it up a notch." He charged again, this time at twice of his earlier speed. Itachi realized that this was getting serious, and was forced to dodge a lot more rather than blocking. He took a blow to his left hand and staggered back from the force.

He said, "I guess you're going all out, huh?" Orochimaru said, "You should have taken me seriously before." Itachi smiled and said, "I'm still not taking you seriously." Just then, a loud explosion rocked them off their feet. Itachi managed to land on a tree and surmised the situation. He said, "Looks like Kisame is done."

Orochimaru looked at him in surprise and then, to his horror, found Kisame walking back towards Itachi, carrying half of Kabuto's body on his shoulder. Kisame's robes were torn and showing his numerous wounds. He said, "He was good fun to play with. I wish that this had lasted a little longer." He walked up to Orochimaru and dropped Kabuto's body unceremoniously on the ground next to him. Orochimaru knelt down and felt the body. He said, "You're going to pay for this."

He looked up at Itachi and Kisame with silent rage in his eyes, and said, "You're dead. Both of you." Kisame laughed and said, "Why? Because we killed your girlfriend?" Orochimaru put his hands on Kabuto's shoulder, and began absorbing all the chakra and the jutsus from the body. Kabuto's body began to change from gray to normal looking. Orochimaru looked up at Itachi and said, "Get ready to die." The Akatsuki members noticed a sudden surge of evil chakra in the air around them.

Orochimaru jumped towards Itachi, and readied a strike, but found himself blocked by Kisame. The shark like man pointed Samehada towards Orochimaru and said, "You're not worthy enough to fight Itachi. You have to go through me first." Orochimaru growled, "With pleasure."

Kisame unwrapped Samehada, and Orochimaru extended his right hand. A serpent came out of it, and disgorged Kusanagi into his left hand. The necromantic shinobi pointed at Kisame and said, "You're Samehada is no match for my Kusanagi." Kisame grinned evilly, and said, "I can snap that blade in half with my bare hands." Orochimaru signed, and the sword flew out of his hands, lengthening itself as it did. Kisame blocked it with a simple over the hand block. The blade turned, and curled around his sword, reaching out for him. He managed to duck underneath it, and just managed to avoid being beheaded.

Orochimaru kept advancing, and kept one eye on Itachi, who was now sitting on the tree branch, watching the battle like a hawk. Kisame was busy blocking the Grass Cutter, so Orochimaru signed a couple of times and left the blade fighting on its own. He jumped towards Itachi and said, "Now, we resume." He lunged towards the rogue ninja, but Itachi shimmered. Orochimaru thought, 'What is this? An image reflection?' He turned around quickly, but no one was there. Itachi's image faded away and he was nowhere to be seen.

Kisame had managed to trap the Kusanagi in a water prison made by one of his clones. He came up to Orochimaru and said, "That was a neat trick. However, you can't escape me. Prepare yourself." He charged towards the rogue Sannin and brought the sword down on him. Orochimaru quickly dodged it, thanking Sasuke's Sharingan for his quicker reflexes. He said, "It's not going to be that easy to defeat me."

Kisame grinned and said, "Oh, I look forward to it. I always used to tell Pein never to trust you. But he was in a world of his own. I always wanted to kill you myself." Orochimaru smiled and said, "However, it's not that easy to kill me." The shark like man said sarcastically, "Of course it's not, since you always slither away from a real fight."

Orochimaru growled at the insult and made a slicing motion. The Kusanagi broke through the water prison and flew straight through Kisame's back. Orochimaru grinned as his sword burst through the front of Kisame's stomach, and then caught the sword in his right hand.

Kisame looked at him in moderate amusement and then burst into a pool of water. He reappeared behind the Sannin and began a barrage of attacks. Orochimaru barely dodged them all with his blade and decided to get some distance between the two of them. He let Kusanagi fight on its own again and hopped back, signing as he did. He let out a stream of snakes from his right hand, and Kisame sliced them right through with his Samehada. However, the action left him open to getting a slight cut from Kusanagi, and he started bleeding from his chest.

Orochimaru signed again, and said, "Wind Style: Cutting Wind!" A huge gust of wind blew over the area, and Kisame was unable to avoid the jutsu completely, earning himself quite a few cuts on his body. However, he disregarded them completely, and kept on fighting the Kusanagi. He thought, 'How do I defeat this sword? It has no wielder, so it can attack in ways that a regular sword just cannot. I guess I'll just have to defeat the snake then.'

Once again, Kisame created a water clone, and said, "Take care of the sword, I'm going after that serpent." The clone nodded, and Kisame charged at Orochimaru, who wasn't ready for the attack that followed. Itachi's partner swung Samehada straight towards Orochimaru's stomach, and sliced it right through.

Orochimaru fell to the ground, in two pieces. Kisame grinned and said, "Well, it wasn't that hard to kill you after all." However, a slight movement caught his attention. The lower body of Orochimaru stood up on its own, and another Orochimaru came out of it, covered in slime.

Orochimaru stepped out of the body completely and said, "Wow, you really caught me by surprise there. I didn't expect you to be so fast, Kisame." The Akatsuki member stared at him in surprise and a healthy amount of disgust as well. Orochimaru smiled and said, "Don't you know? I'm immortal."

Just as he could start attacking again, a shadow appeared behind Kisame. Orochimaru paused, wondering what was happening. The shadow solidified into Itachi, who put a hand on Kisame's shoulder and said, "This is getting out of hand, Kisame. We need to go." Orochimaru said, "Oh, I'm sorry, but I cannot let you go. You see, I promised your younger brother Sasuke, that I would kill you within six months." Itachi said, "Nevertheless, I cannot stick around any longer. Kisame, make sure that your clone continues to fend off Kusanagi."

The snake like shinobi said, "Do you really think that you can escape me?" Itachi said, "Yes, I do. Amaterasu."

Out of nowhere, an inferno of black flames covered Orochimaru's body, and the necromantic shinobi screamed in pain. As he looked towards Itachi again, he saw that neither of the Akatsuki members stood there. He let his body burn, before shedding it and emerging from the shell that remained. He thought, 'I need to be careful.' Sasuke said, "Well, then. I guess you still can't defeat him. I guess I'll just need to take my body back then." Orochimaru said, "It's not been six months yet. You will not take back control until the six months are up."

Sasuke said, "I don't care. I wanted to see whether you could go up against him, and you still can't. Whereas I almost defeated him the last time I fought." Orochimaru said, "You weren't troubled by that stupid beast, Kisame." Sasuke said sardonically, "Oh yeah, that reminds me, he killed Kabuto, did he not? Are you feeling sad about your girlfriend dying?"

Orochimaru growled and said, "Watch it, kid." Sasuke's eyes glowed for a moment in his cage, and Orochimaru felt a slight pull into the cage. He said, "Fine. Mock me if you will. But I will kill Itachi, mark my words." Sasuke said sarcastically, "Try to locate him first. It took you three months to find him here the first time."

Orochimaru signed and a sealing scroll appeared in front of him. He quickly sealed Kabuto's remaining body into the scroll, and then began to walk in the general direction of Itachi's chakra.

Jiraiya and Kakashi headed into the jungle together. Kakashi said, "Are you sure that he's going to be able to show up?" Jiraiya frowned slightly at the question and said, "Why do you ask?" Kakashi replied, "Well, he must be under a lot of pressure right now, won't he? What do we do if he cannot show up today?"

Jiraiya said, "It's not the time to think about that right now. We just have to trust in him." Kakashi nodded and the two continued. Suddenly, a couple of shadows flitted past, over their heads. Kakashi nodded, and Jiraiya looked up. Two shinobi with Leaf ANBU masks stood in front of them.

The first one said, "Tenzo and Sai reporting for mission." Jiraiya nodded and said, "Password." Tenzo nodded and the two ANBU said in synchronization, "No matter how many leaves fall, our village will always stand tall." The sage nodded and said, "Were we followed?" Sai shook his head and said, "I had my rat drawings keep a lookout until my jutsu wore off of each of them. As far as now, no one has followed us."

Kakashi said, "Still, we better keep a lookout." Everyone agreed, and the four of them began to travel in a diamond formation. Soon, they reached the border of the Land of Fire, and stopped at a rocky mountain, waiting in the trees. An hour went by, and the ANBU members became restless. Tenzo said, "Are you sure he's going to show up?"

Jiraiya said, "I have faith in him. He will show up. He must. No matter what the cost." Just then, two shadows appeared far away on the path where the Leaf squadron was waiting. Sai pointed them out, and Kakashi observed the duo. He said, "I thought he was going to bring his family, right? I see only another Akatsuki member."

Just then, another shadow emerged behind them, and Jiraiya smiled. He said, "There." Kakashi nodded. Tenzo said, "Why are there two Akatsuki members? I thought he left them behind." Jiraiya said, "I'll ask when they get here." The figures became more distinct as they walked forward. Two figures were clad in Akatsuki robes, and one in civilian clothes. The civilian figure also carried a small child on top of her left arm. The three of them reached the Leaf ninjas, and Jiraiya smiled warmly, saying, "Welcome home, Uchiha Itachi."


	33. Chapter 33: Homecoming

Author's Note: Hey, what's up guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys, hope you like it. Gonna be busy for a while, but I'll try to keep up the story, wish me luck. ;)

**Chapter 33: Homecoming**

Itachi smiled wanly and said, "Hello, Master Jiraiya. Hello Kakashi. I see what Master Jiraiya said when he meant that an old friend was coming to escort me." Kakashi hugged Itachi briefly, and said, "It's so good to see you, Itachi." Then Tenzo came forward and shook his hand, saying, "My name is Tenzo. I am the temporary leader of the Root Foundation. It is an honor to meet you. I spent many years thinking that you were a criminal, until I was told of this mission and what you have sacrificed for our village. I revere you."

Itachi gave them a small smile, and said, "I thank you all for this warm welcome. Now, let me introduce you to my wife and child." The woman came in front. She had light brown hair, up to her shoulders, and tied in a ponytail similar to Itachi. Her face was slightly angular, giving it a beautiful chiseled look. She had a figure that rivaled many of the Leaf kunoichis. But the most prominent feature was her red eyes.

Itachi said, "This is Katsumi. She used to be a Cloud village stealth kunoichi. She was sent by the Raikage to infiltrate the Akatsuki, and try to gather information. Her secondary objective was to try and assassinate all the members, and gather their Kekkei Genkai, if any. Unfortunately, she had not heard much about me then, and picked me first. However, I was able to see through her intentions."

Katsumi smiled slightly, as though in remembrance. Itachi continued, "I made her confess everything to me, and then she confided all that she had found. I asked her whether she would like to return to the Cloud village or die. She told me that she would be as good as dead if she returned to the Cloud empty handed. Therefore she asked me for some time to think. In that time, we grew to love each other, and got married one day in secret. Kisame here is the only person I confided in."

Jiraiya said, "That reminds me. Why is Kisame here? Is he not part of the Akatsuki?" Kisame shook his head and said, "I am not, and never was a part of the Akatsuki. I am but a servant of Itachi, for I owe him my life." Everyone looked confused and Kisame said, "Do you think that I look like this naturally? That these fins and these gills are a part of me.? No. I am the Jinchuuriki of the Six Tailed Shark."

Everyone gasped audibly, except for Itachi and Katsumi. The child in her arm slept on. Jiraiya said, "What did you just say?" Itachi nodded and said, "It is true. I found out about it a while after he was captured. He was leading a very secret life, and only a few people in the Mist village knew about this. They were all killed in the Third Ninja War. So the secret was preserved. But the Akatsuki is nothing if not resourceful. They had tracked him for a long time and they finally were able to capture him." He grinned as he said, "It took five of the Akatsuki to bring him down."

Kisame grinned slightly as well and said, "However, Itachi was able to persuade them to keep me alive. He told them that I was of more use alive, because of my strength. Itachi is the only reason that I am still alive, because the Akatsuki thought that they could extract my Bijuu at any time they wanted. And in return for keeping me alive, I would have to hunt the other Bijuu and Jinchuuriki for them. I was partnered with Itachi, and over time, we became friends."

Even though it would seem impossible, a tear came out of Kisame's right eye. He said, "I would be dead if it weren't for him. I follow Itachi wherever he goes. If he comes back to the village, I come with him." Jiraiya said, "That's all well and good, but you do know the rules regarding rogue ninjas, right? That any rogue ninja of a particular village, found by another village, must be executed on the spot, or captured and brought back to his original village?"

Itachi nodded and said, "I've thought it out, Master Jiraiya. I will bring him into the Root. Once he has the mask on, it will be fine. And he can anyway escape right now if we don't agree, or kill us all. He has the power." Kisame nodded and Itachi continued, "Besides, even if we send him back to the Mist village, he will escape from there again as well."

Kakashi nodded and said, "I have heard of the prisoner of war clause in the treaty between the Leaf and Mist village. If either village believes that sending the prisoner back will affect the balance of power, they may keep him as a prisoner of war. We could issue an ultimatum to the Mist village, seeing as Kisame is as powerful as he is."

Kisame snorted and said, "You would imprison me?" Kakashi shook his head and said passively, "Not at all. That would only be the farce in order to fool the Mist. After all, we could definitely do with an ally as strong as you." Kisame nodded and Katsumi said, "We should get going, Itachi. Kiyoko will wake up soon, and she usually wakes up hungry." Itachi nodded and said, "So, is it decided then? Will you allow Kisame to join the village?"

Jiraiya said, "It's hard to say whether Tsunade will allow him in. However, I'm prepared to put my word in for him. And if you do as well, then Tsunade has no choice. And it does make sense to recruit him into the Root." Tenzo nodded and said, "Having a ninja like Kisame in our village would certainly change everything. And he also is a Jinchuuriki, no less. That would really change the landscape regarding the balance of power between the countries. We will have to be extremely careful with him. I say, if anyone finds out about this, the Leaf village will have to disavow you two."

Everyone agreed and Jiraiya said, "Let us be going, then. It's getting late, and the more we dawdle, the more chances of Akatsuki finding us." Kisame barked a short laugh and said, "Not to worry. We were able to pull one on them. We told them that we are headed to capture the Three Tails." Jiraiya grinned and said, "Quite ingenious. I am told that the Three Tails is the only one without a current Jinchuuriki."

Everyone started walking, Jiraiya and Kakashi leading the way, Itachi and Kisame on either sides of Katsumi, and Tenzo and Sai bringing up the rear. Sai had stayed quiet the entire time, wathcing the Akatsuki members carefully. Itachi said, "Let me hold her for a while, your arms must be tiring by now." Katsumi gave Itachi their daughter and he held her close to him. Jiraiya looked over behind over his shoulder and smiled at the sight. He said, "You know, you could rebuild your clan, Itachi. Sasuke always wanted to do it, so why can't you?"

Itachi said, "I have briefly considered it, Master Jiraiya. Maybe a little in the future. I still have some loose ends to tie up." Kakashi said, "Does she have the potential for the Sharingan?" Itachi replied, "It's hard to tell, without doing the proper tests. However, I would think that she does." Jiraiya said, "Tsunade can do the tests by herself and find out. In fact, I think she was planning on doing them as soon as you guys reached." Kakashi smiled and thought to himself, "I would very much like to have another student of the Sharingan."

A couple of hours later, everyone reached within close proximity of the village. Jiraiya stopped, and everyone stopped behind him. Itachi said, "Security?" Jiraiya shook his head and said, "Tsunade is coming out here once I call her. I can't have you walk right up to the gates now, can I? The security's been ramped up quite a lot since the new technologies have been adopted. Cameras, motion detectors, all that modern age crap. Perform a henge, you two."

He took out his cellular and dialed Tsunade up. She picked it up and asked, "Are you there?" Jiraiya replied, "Yes I am. But we have a bit of a complication." She asked, "What is it?" He said, "Find out for yourself." She cut the call, and within a moment, she was next to them, along with three other ninjas. Tsunade said, "Thank you, Genma, Raido, Iwashi. You may go now." Kisame and Itachi had disguised themselves as two civilians, and the guard platoon didn't realize the deception at all. They saluted to Tsunade and then took off towards the village.

Once they were out of range, the two former Akatsuki agents assumed their normal form. Tsunade cried out in surprise and said, "What is Kisame Hoshigaki doing here?" Itachi and Jiraiya proceeded to explain everything to her, and she finally said, "Very well. It seems that you think of everything, Itachi. However, anyone who notices him even with a mask, will see his giant sword. What about that?" Kisame said, "I can seal my sword into a scroll. It is only needed for those who I wish to kill, so if I take it out against someone, they will not live to tell anyone about it. And even if it may appear otherwise, my sword only makes up for around thirty to forty percent of my power."

Tsunade nodded slowly and said, "It is dangerous… but very well. For the moment, come with me. Disguise yourselves again." They did and they follow the Hokage into the village. The guards, confused, halted them and said, "When did you leave the village, Lady Hokage?" Tsunade frowned and said, "Didn't Genma, Raido and Iwashi come by here?" The guards said, "Yes, they did." Tsunade said, "Didn't they tell you that I asked them to perform the Hiraishin to take me to my meeting with Jiraiya and the others?"

The guards shook their heads, and Tsunade said, "Well, I had. I'm going back now." The guards said, "Ma'am, I know this is irritating for you, but for security reasons, we have to see identification." Tsunade smirked and said, "Of course you do. If you hadn't asked for identification, I would have punched the shit out of you." The guards paled, but Tsunade showed her ID and thy relaxed. She passed by with her entire group, and they headed to the Ninja Ops.

At the Ninja Ops, Tsunade led them down to the interrogation chambers. She said, "I need to run some tests on your daughter, Itachi." He nodded and handed her over. She smiled and said, "What's her name?" Katsumi said, "She is Kiyoko." Tsunade said, "A wonderful name. I have no doubt that she will be a great ninja someday, just like her parents." Everyone agreed heartily.

Tsunade put the child down on a table, and connected a few wires. She ran some diagnostics and said, "Yes, the child definitely possesses the Sharingan. And my, such powerful chakra!" Itachi nodded and said, "Katsumi also has a lot of chakra. I guess that's where Kiyoko inherited it from." Katsumi tried to look modest.

Tsunade activated a couple of medical NinJutsus and then ran her hands over the child. She finally said, "She's totally healthy and well doing. I am glad to see that you have such a wonderful family, Itachi." The Sharingan wielder smiled his trademark small smile and said, "Now that I'm back, I wanted to know where we are going to be staying."

Tsunade said, "I have arranged for you to have the Uchiha estate, if you want. It is a bit further away, to ensure your privacy, and Kisame can also take a house for himself." Itachi said, "Alright, I don't have a problem with it. It will bring back some memories, though." Tsunade smiled and said, "Now, let us figure out some details regarding your new position." She turned to Katsumi and said, "So, how old is Kiyoko?"

Katsumi replied, "A year and a half."

Tsunade said, "She is really beautiful. You are lucky, Katsumi, to have such a wonderful husband and child." Itachi's wife smiled and said, "I know. I could not have done better. And to think that I was sent to steal his Sharingan when I first met him." Tsunade frowned a little and asked, "What does that mean?"

Itachi explained, and Tsunade said, "This is a rather uncomfortable situation, Itachi. Harboring two rogue-nins, both from different Hidden villages, and keeping it a secret is going to be tough. I wish you had informed me of this earlier." Itachi said, "I am sorry, Milady. I couldn't have spoken about it, lest it came out somewhere. The Akatsuki is very strict about such matters, and would have killed Katsumi and Kiyoko if they would have found out about them. And in any case, I believe that the Raikage doesn't care about her either way. He always felt that Katsumi was disposable."

Tsunade said, "I doubt it. The Akatsuki would not have killed a child with the potential for the Sharingan. And the Raikage is not a fool, no matter how it may appear. However, let us forget that for now, we can go over that later. Now, for your duties. I have arranged a meeting with the Root Foundation members, who are currently suspended. The meeting will be held tomorrow, and I will introduce the reason for it. I want you to make a slightly dramatic entrance, so as to put them off slightly. I can't have any of them accusing you of being a traitor. That's the last thing that should go down tomorrow."

Itachi said, "Do you honestly expect that they will listen quietly? My enmity with Danzo was well known, even when I was in the village." Kakashi said, "If I may, Milady?" Tsunade nodded and Kakashi said, "Both Itachi and I have been captains of the ANBU. Bluntly speaking, that position commands a bit of respect, even from the Root Foundation."

Tsunade's forehead creased slightly, as she thought about it. She asked, "What is your point?" Kakashi said, "If I go there with the two of you, I am sure that my word will significantly change their thoughts. Also, I would like Tenzo to accompany us. He is the current leader, and will do well in calming them down if there is any difference in opinion."

The Hokage thought about it. Jiraiya said, "He's right, Tsunade. Kakashi is one of the most respected ninjas in the village. Tenzo, being the leader, is one of his juniors. If the two of them side with Itachi, they are sure to persuade the Root quite easily. Not to mention that your temper is quite famous, even down there. One frown on your forehead is enough to silence any of the Root members."

Tsunade frowned at that, and Jiraiya put his arms up in front of his face in a cartoonistic exaggeration. She laughed and said, "I'm not going to hit you here, baka. I can't risk the entire Ninja Ops building falling down." Everyone laughed and Tsunade said, "Alright then. Meet me here tomorrow at 11AM sharp, Itachi, Kakashi and Tenzo. Now, before you leave, here is our mask. And Kisame, I'll get you a mask tomorrow. You guys will need it, in case anyone from the village recognizes you. Itachi, I've created a seal at the gates of the estate, which will only open on your touch. Once you open it, you are free to reseal it, or keep it open."

Itachi nodded and saw his mask. It was a mask in the shape of a boar, and he was surprised. He said, "Doesn't the boar mask belong to the ANBU captain?" Tsunade nodded and said, "The official ANBU. You are the leader of the unofficial ANBU, so you have the same respect and prestige." Itachi bowed and accepted the mask. He said, "I am honored. I will perform my duty to the best of my ability." Tsunade and Jiraiya both said at the same time, "I have no doubt you will." Tsunade smiled for a brief second. Then she said, "Kisame, you have a long time friendship with Itachi. I would like if you would take up the position of his right hand man in the Root."

Kisame nodded and said, "It would be my honor. I am indebted to Itachi, and the least I can do is protect him from any danger that I can." Kakashi said to Jiraiya in a low voice, "I think that Kisame will do well in this village." Jiraiya nodded and whispered, "Looks like he's truly loyal to Itachi. He will follow him anywhere."

Tsunade said, "Now, like I said, I do not have a mask for you right now, Kisame. So I would like you to use a transformation to get by until then." The shark lookalike nodded and immediately transformed. He said, "This is how I used to look before I became the Jinchuuriki." Everyone stared at him. His face was now a gentled shade of caramel, with blue-green eyes. The cuts on his face made him look handsome and intelligent at the same time.

Tsunade said, "Very well. Let us go now. I presume you guys are tired from the journey. And Katsumi needs to get rest." Itachi nodded and said, "We will take our leave, then." Jiraiya came forward and said, "I'm glad to have you back, Itachi. Although you are not going to be able to show your face around, you still have us. And remember not to use your Sharingan in the village."

Itachi said, "Oh that reminds me. I wanted to speak with you on an important matter, regarding my Sharingan." Tsunade said, "Now is not the time. We will speak tomorrow." Itachi nodded and said, "Alright then, I shall be here tomorrow at 11AM." Tsunade said, "Make sure to bring Kisame too."

The new leader of the Root nodded and left. Kisame and Katsumi followed him, Katsumi holding Kiyoko. Tsunade said, "I wonder what's wrong with his Sharingan." Jiraiya said, "We'll find out tomorrow. Now, let's go. I'm quite tired as well." Tsunade nodded and said, "Kakashi, take a bit of rest too. You have a long meeting ahead of you tomorrow, if the Root members are not easy enough to persuade."

Kakashi nodded, bowed, and then left. Tsunade looked at Tenzo and Sai. She said, "Sai, I want you to promise never to speak of this ever again. I would ask for a Blood Oath, but I am choosing to trust you enough not to do so." Sai said, "I would never blab about something so important to the village." She nodded and said, "You may go. Tenzo, make sure you rally the Root members tomorrow." The temporary leader of the Root nodded and left with Sai.

Jiraiya said, "Tsunade, what about Naruto? Should we tell him about this? He still will be thinking that Itachi is out to capture him." Tsunade shook her head. The sage said, "Why not?"

Tsunade sighed and said, "Sasuke. That's the reason. You see, as soon as Naruto realizes that Itachi is not who he claims to be, Naruto will want to inform Sasuke about it. And this could impact the village. Sasuke might come here and go on a rampage." Jiraiya nodded slowly, and said, "I guess you're right. Then we should steer him clear of Itachi, no matter what." The Hokage nodded and said, "That's for damn sure. If they face each other, we could have nothing but the remains of a village in no time."

Jiraiya said, "I'll be going then. See you later, Tsunade."

He left the room and Tsunade sighed. She thought, 'I hope Naruto doesn't find out what's going down here.'

Naruto sneezed. Ino looked at him in concern and said, "What happened?" Naruto shrugged and said, "Don't know. Maybe someone remembered me." They continued to train in one of the training fields. Ino said, "Naruto, I just realized. You need a shadow clone to do the Rasenshuriken or the Lightning Styled Rasengan. I don't know the Shadow Clone Jutsu, so I won't be able to do it."

Naruto scratched his head, and said, "I guess you're right. Maybe I need to teach you that jutsu first. But it's not so easy. I learnt it from the Scroll of Forbidden NinJutsus." Ino said, "Where on earth did you get your hands on that?" Naruto grinned sheepishly and said, "It's a long story. It's the reason why I graduated from the Academy."

Ino said, "Tell it to me sometime." He said, "Yeah, I will. Anyway, let's continue our training. And I forgot to mention, I use my shadow clones because my chakra control is still not perfect. Maybe you won't even need a shadow clone. Try doing it first without the clones. If you aren't able to, then I guess you'll have to learn the Shadow Clone jutsu."

Ino said, "That's right. But I still feel like I should learn it. It is one hell of a jutsu and it would really increase my skills. I'm still a little behind on my list of NinJutsus." Naruto said, "What?"

She said, "To be a Jonin, you need to have a number of NinJutsus. Unless you surpass the minimum amount, you cannot be a Jonin." Naruto said, "Are you planning on giving the Jonin exams so soon?" Ino laughed and said, "Not at all. I'm not nearly as strong. But I'm trying my hardest to learn new stuff so that I can get there some day."

Naruto nodded and said, "Then I'll try my hardest as well." They both resumed their training. Ino was trying to master the Five Finger Rasengan. She had got three of them, and was working hard, trying to get the fourth one. But all of them would unravel before she could complete the fourth sphere. She said with a strained voice, "How on earth did you manage to get five of the Rasengans on your fingers, Naruto?"

He said, "Well, like I said, I have a lot of chakra. Also, my stamina is quite higher than others, so I can work on jutsus for longer than other ninjas. That was what pushed me. Also, I train using shadow clones, so that my training is intensified."

Ino nodded and said, "It's quite tough to get the spheres all on one hand. And I do have…" Then she suddenly stopped, her face colouring slightly. Naruto said, "What do you have?" She looked embarrassed and said, "Nothing, really." She thought, 'I shouldn't say such stuff. He would have felt insulted if I had told him that I have better chakra control than him.'

Naruto said, "Show me the technique." Ino nodded and started creating a Rasengan on her index finger. Naruto observed it carefully, and then said, "Whoa. How much power are you putting into the Rasengans?" She replied, "Full power, of course."

Naruto face palmed and said, "It's no wonder that you're finding it so tough to make all the Rasengans. I keep each one at around twenty percent of the power, so that the five of them total to one full sized Rasengan." Ino said, "But imagine the power of five full Rasengans on one hand."

Naruto said, "But isn't the resonating thing that makes the jutsu work? What would it matter, whether all the Rasengans were at full power or not?" Ino pondered over that and said, "I guess that's right. I could create a bigger disturbance in the frequencies of the Rasengan rather than increasing the power. The resulting resonance would be able to blast at a much higher force."

Naruto said, "Yeah, whatever you said." Ino laughed and started concentrating again. This time, the Rasengans were looser than usual. Ino was able to create five Rasengans on her hand at the same time. She said, "Finally! Decreasing the power really worked, Naruto!" He nodded and smiled. She thrust the Rasengans into the ground, and it blasted apart. Ino flew into the air, pushed upwards by the impact. She went really high into the sky, and prepared for a big impact with the ground. Naruto swung into action.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"

Fifty clones burst into existence, and they all quickly piled onto the ground below Ino. The blonde kunoichi aimed herself towards them, and fell on top of the clones, which dispelled as the impact hit them. Finally, only six of the clones were left, and they helped Ino up. She thanked them and they saluted, before vanishing. Naruto jogged up towards her and said, "Are you alright?" She nodded and said, "Wow, I didn't expect to go flying like that." Naruto said fiercely, "What did you expect? You thrust an A-Ranked jutsu straight into the ground. What else was going to happen?" Ino grumbled, "Fine, I'm sorry."

The boy said, "Look, I don't want anything to happen to you, ya know." She smiled and said, "I know." Naruto said, "Now, help me out a bit. I'm thinking of bending the lightning style Rasengan into a shape, but I can't decide what. It can't be compressed into a shuriken. And the Rasengan is in a spherical shape, so I can't let that change. What can be created which has a sphere in the center?"

They thought about it for a while. Ino said, "Why not just extend the lightning chakra into a bolt? With the Rasengan in the middle." Naruto thought about it and said, "I guess that could work. I'll try it." Under Ino's supervision, he created a Rasengan, and a shadow clone appeared to his side. Ino thought, 'He can make clones with his mind now? That too while maintaining a Rasengan? Incredible!'

The clone started adding lightning chakra. Naruto restricted the flow of chakra to around fifty percent, and then focused. The Rasengan began to glow, and started extending at two edges. He focused harder, and the edges began extending faster. However, the Rasengan kept getting smaller, as the edges increased. Naruto's face scrunched up in concentration, beads of sweat lining his forehead. He managed to extend the Rasengan to around one foot on either end, and the orb was now in the middle, looking extremely small. It was even smaller than the width of the bolt. The bolt of lightning started glowing a bright purple, crackling with electricity and emitting a noise similar to Kakashi's Lightning Blade. Ino watched in awe. Naruto suddenly thought about something, and his eyes widened in anticipation. As Ino watched, Naruto drew his arm back and hurled the bolt of lightning right into a tree that was about fifty feet away.

The two of them looked at the explosion from far away. A wave of lightning swept over the area covering the explosion, and burnt everything to a crisp. Ino gasped at the amount of damage. She said, "Naruto, this is way stronger than the lightning infused Rasengan!"

Naruto said, "I know. What's weird is that it was only at half power." Ino wondered what the impact of a full powered Lightning Rasengan bolt would be. She then said, "How on earth did you manage to throw it?" Naruto shrugged and said, "Dunno. I just had a thought. I managed to throw the Rasenshuriken when I was in Sage mode. But the chakra was compressed, being wind chakra. However, this chakra was not uncompressed, and I have seen that Sasuke is able to remotely generate lightning strikes without touching them. So I wondered if I could throw it. And it turns out I can."

Ino was impressed. She said, "So, what are you going to name it?" Naruto pondered for a while and said, "How about the Lightning Style: Rasenbolt?" Ino liked it and gave him a thumbs up. He smiled and said, "Let's go and tell Lady Tsunade and Kakashi." She nodded, and the two of them took off.

As they reached Ninja Ops, Naruto and Ino were stopped by the guards. Naruto said, "What's wrong?" The ninja said, "Lady Tsunade is not here. She is away on some important business." Naruto said, "When will she be back?" The ninja said, "I do not know. Probably by evening."

Naruto nodded and said, "Let's go to Kakashi sensei then, Ino." The ninja said, "Did you say Kakashi? I saw him go with Lady Tsunade." Naruto frowned at that and said, "What could they be up to?" Ino said, "Never mind, we'll come back here in the evening. Let's get something to eat, Naruto. I'm hungry."

Naruto said, "Yes, let's go and get some ra…"

Ino put a finger to his mouth and said, "No ramen. You need to branch out. I'm taking you to a restaurant which serves some traditional Japanese seafood. Alright?" Naruto grumbled, "Okay, Ino-chan." They left and the guard heaved a sigh of relief.

Tsunade entered the room and began speaking without preamble, "Hello, everyone. As you know, this is a difficult time for all of you, because your leader has passed away. However, nothing in the world ever remains forever, so we must go with the flow. I know that this will be hard on you in the beginning, knowing that you were hand-picked by Danzo. However, I think that his replacement will be just as capable of handling the gigantic task that Danzo used to perform."

She gestured, and a gust of wind suddenly blew into the room. A large number of crows suddenly flew into the room, and started gathering next to Tsunade. The shape gradually turned human, and Itachi Uchiha looked at all the Root members through his Sharingan. Tsunade smirked inwardly and thought, 'Can't beat that for an entrance.'

She said, "Itachi Uchiha is one of the bravest ninjas in our village. He has borne a huge burden over him for the last many years, labelled a criminal for most of his adult life, and sacrificed his own personal desires in order to protect the village. He has put aside everything, even his own family, just for the sake of the village. The Third Hokage put Itachi Uchiha undercover in the Akatsuki, believing that he could do what no other ninja was ever able to. And finally, now that Danzo has passed away, I believe that there is no other ninja capable of doing the task that he left behind."

Most of the Root members had stood up when Itachi entered. Some of them shouted, "No way! Itachi is not fit to lead the Root! He killed his entire clan!"

One of them even went so far as to say, "Who's to say that he won't kill you too, if he feels like it, Lady Tsunade!" Tsunade's eyebrow twitched, and she began to speak, but Itachi said, "Allow me." She nodded and he said, "I have lived a tough life ever since I was young. I know that most of you have done the same, which is why Danzo-san recruited you into the Root, to give you a chance to escape that life."

He took a pause, seeing that everyone had fallen silent as soon as he began to speak. He said, "I was labelled as a prodigy ever since I was young, which is slightly surprising, since I never thought about myself in that manner. However, my clan started burdening me with responsibilities, thinking that I could help them do what no one had ever tried; take down the Leaf Village."

Some of the Root members gasped audibly at that. Tsunade began to speak, but Itachi said, "Milady, it is important for them to know if I need to gain their acceptance." She hesitated at first, but then nodded grudgingly, and he continued, "I was, am and always will be a servant of this village. I made ANBU captain when I was thirteen, a feat not achieved by everyone. I was the ultimate spy for our village, and for my clan. I played a double role my entire life. My clan was plotting to overthrow the Leaf Village. In my heart, I knew that it was wrong. That is why I informed the Third Hokage of this treachery."

One of the Root members said, "Why should that change anything?" Itachi said, "I am getting there. The Sandaime did not wish for bloodshed. He wanted to find a peaceful solution to this problem. However, Danzo-san wanted to exterminate the Uchihas. He approached me and tried to turn me against my clan. When that did not work, he tried to do it with one of my dearest friends, Shisui Uchiha, who you may know as Shisui the Teleporter. When Shisui declined, Danzo-san forcefully stole on of his legendary Mangekyo Sharingan eyes. Shisui came to me and told me everything. He left me his other eye, and sacrificed himself, in order to awaken my Mangekyo. I approached the Third Hokage, and told him everything." Many of the Root members looked as though they wanted to protest, and Itachi held up his hand, saying, "I have no interest in turning you against Danzo-san, nor do I wish to tarnish your memories of him. However, if you wish to know the truth, you should know absolutely everything about it."

Everyone fell silent again. Itachi continued, "The Third had to take a decision, and he unfortunately had no other choice. The Tribunal ordered me to exterminate my clan, in order to bring peace to my village. And I did so without hesitation. I killed everyone, all my relatives, all my friends, and…and even my own parents. However, I could not bring myself to kill my younger brother. Which is why I let him live, breeding hatred in him, so that one day, he would surpass me, and become a great ninja."

The Root members had all sat down, seeing a tear come out of Itachi's eye. They all thought the same thing, 'Is this really true?' Most of the Root members were listening intently now. Itachi continued, "I entered the Akatsuki as a spy and started relaying all their information to Master Jiraiya, who was my contact for the village. I am never ever killed a Leaf shinobi of my own free will. I am proud to be a Leaf ninja, and I gather from the teachings of Danzo, that you are made from the same mould. Are you not willing to lay down your life if it means protecting the village? If so, then our goals are aligned. I have already given up my life and all my desires, in order to help the village in whatever it does. I ask you all, did you not pledge the same thing, when you entered the Root? To live anonymously, in the shadows, protecting the village without ever revealing yourselves? I have done the same throughout my life, and will continue to do so, whether it has me live as a criminal, or as a rogue ninja."

Some of the Root members started clapping, and soon the entire group followed. Tsunade said, "Well, done Itachi." He nodded and said to the group, "Will you accept me as your leader? I will always strive to maintain the secrecy and the teachings of Danzo-san, and try my hardest to protect the village, alongside you." All the Root members stood up and cheered approvingly.

Kakashi entered the room silently, and stood behind Tsunade. He said, "Well, looks like Tenzo and I weren't needed after all." Tsunade nodded almost imperceptibly, and Kakashi said, "Can I get going then? I have an appointment." Tsunade said, "Since when do you honor other people's time?" Kakashi said, "Since I learned how scary it can get if you don't." Tsunade smirked and said, "Get going, then. Where's Tenzo?" Kakashi said, "He's on the beam on top, supervising the situation." Tsunade looked up and gestured. Tenzo jumped lightly down, and walked over to them. Kakashi left the room.

Tsunade said, "Now, everyone, calm down. Tenzo has been an excellent leader of the Root Foundation while Itachi was still being searched for. I would like to have a round of applause for the excellent work that he did." The Root members all clapped with enthusiasm, and Tenzo bowed slightly, saying, "I did what any Leaf ninja should always strive to do. It has been an honor to lead all of you fine ninjas, and I wish you all the best of luck in the future. Itachi is a fine man and will surely lead you into a new future, one that is brighter than what you have seen so far. I take my leave now, so this is my final talk with you guys. Thank you all."

Everyone clapped again, and Tenzo exited the room. Tsunade said, "Everyone, I should let you know that the Root Foundation has publicly been shut down. You guys work even more secretly than you ever have before. No one should ever even see you, if there is no need to. I hope that you will all continue to protect the village, and do all there is to, in order to help the village flourish." Everyone nodded and Tsunade said, "Well, then. I guess Itachi is your leader from now."

Itachi took out his boar mask and wore it, to a loud cheer, and he said, "Let us all take a vow to never let down our village, no matter what." Everyone nodded and Itachi said, "I, Itachi Uchiha of the Hidden Leaf village, hereby vow to lead the Root Foundation to the best of my abilities. I will always strive to protect the village, and operate as secretly as possible. I also promise that I will never let any harm come to the village as long as it is possible to stop it. I ask my fellow brothers to do the same."

All the Root members knelt on one knee in front of him and said in sync, "We, the members of the Root Foundation, vow to follow Uchiha Itachi, no matter what the circumstances. We live in the darkness to serve the light. We will gladly lay down our lives to keep our village safe, for that is our ultimate duty towards it."

Itachi was surprised and said, "Did you people plan this?" One of the Root members in the front shook his head and replied, "This is the vow we took when following Danzo-sama. We changed the name to yours." Itachi nodded and said, "Alright then. I assume leadership of the Root Foundation officially. Tomorrow, we shall have a meeting to discuss everything about the Root. There are many things that I need to know about it, and I rely on you to help me out." Everyone nodded and Itachi said, "Then you may go now. We shall meet in the original Root Foundation hideout tomorrow morning at 10AM."

Everyone said, "HAI!" and left the room in a single file. Tsunade waited until they were gone and then said, "I am amazed at how well you handled this, Itachi. Although I didn't want them to know about the coup-d'état." Itachi said, "That was the turning point, Lady Tsunade. If they had not known about it, they would not have seen the meaning of my life, and would not have accepted me as one of their own."

She nodded and said, "Now, you were saying something about your eyes yesterday? What is it?" Itachi said, "Ah, yes. Didn't you notice it? I thought that as a medical ninja, you would have caught it by now." Tsunade groused, "I am not an eye optician." Itachi smiled and said, "Fair enough. My eyes are weakening. I am already partially blind and fear that it could soon become permanent."

Tsunade gasped and said, "What? How?" Itachi said, "I believe that it is because of the Mangekyo Sharingan. I had read about it on the Uchiha stone tablet. It says that the more the Mangekyo is used, the more the eyes lose their light." Tsunade said, "Is there anything about how to cure it?" Itachi nodded and said, "You need to steal another pair of Mangekyo Sharingans. And it works best if that person is your sibling."

Tsunade said, "What? Are you serious?" Itachi said, "Yes, I am."

The Hokage said, "Is that why you…" Itachi shook his head gently and said, "I have no intention of stealing Sasuke's eyes. Quite the opposite, in fact. I realize that he now possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan himself, though I have no idea how. But the fact remains that he could soon go blind himself, and I would not like that to happen. Which is why I wanted to ask for a favor."

Tsunade said, "What is it?" Itachi said, "I have bequeathed Shisui's left eye to Naruto. I would like to have it back. I believe that you have the other eye." Tsunade nodded and said, "I gave it to Jiraiya for safekeeping. I'll call him tomorrow and ask him to return it to you. But why do you need it? And how on earth will you get the other eye from Naruto?" Itachi said, "I would like to have Shisui's eyes implemented into me. And my eyes to be kept safe for Sasuke when he needs them."

Tsunade frowned and said, "Are you sure about this?" Itachi said, "Yes, I'm pretty sure. You see, Shisui was as close to me as a brother. It is only because of him that I even possess the Mangekyo Sharingan today. And we were at the same level of power back in the day." Tsunade said, "Still, that's quite a risk you're taking."

Itachi said, "I have to. I don't expect that my eyes will last longer, if I keep using the Mangekyo related abilities, and Shisui's eyes would prevent that." Tsunade sighed and said, "Very well. I'll tell Jiraiya to pass on the right eye to you. And what about Naruto? How do you expect to get that one? If he sees you, he'll go ballistic."

Itachi grinned and pointed at his mask. Tsunade smiled and said, "Alright then. Make sure not to reveal anything, though. It may not seem like it, but he is quite sharp." Itachi nodded and left the room. Tsunade also left, and headed for the Ninja Ops.


	34. Chapter 34: The Mission and Revelation

**Author's Note:** What's up guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you today, I really tried hard to bring this to you guys today, instead of next week, and I'm kinda glad that I made it. Hope you guys enjoy, and if you do, please leave a review, nothing makes me feel more elated, than reading your reviews. And getting a headshot in CS, but screw that. Anyway, Happy Reading!

**Chapter 34: The Mission and the Revelation**

Ino woke up the next day, and looked at the calendar. She sighed and thought, 'Only a few days to go for Naruto's birthday, and I still haven't been able to plan anything for him. I really must buck up, or Naruto is sure to have the worst coming of age birthday in the village.'

Naruto turned around in his sleep next to her, and she smiled at him. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and said, "Time to wake up, sweetheart." Naruto opened his eyes sleepily and said, "Morning, Ino-chan." She got out of the bed and said, "I'm going to wash up. Can you make up the bed, please?"

Naruto looked at the disheveled state of the bedcovers, and smirked at Ino. She turned to leave, and he said, "No problem, Ino-chan." As she went out of the room, a shadow clone popped into existence and grumbled, "Why me always?" Naruto shrugged and said, "Well, I don't really control who I create, do I?" The clone said, "Whatever." He huffed his cheeks and started making up the bed. Naruto said, "Thanks a ton, man."

He left the room and snuck into the bathroom. Ino was busy taking a shower, and Naruto grinned. He crept into the bath when her back was turned, and closed her eyes. Ino grinned. She said, "So, got your clones to do the donkey work again, I see." Naruto said, "Well, I couldn't pass up such an opportunity." The blonde female turned around and said, "Really? And what opportunity would that be?"

Naruto said, "You know which." He cupped her face and she closed her eyes. Naruto kissed her eyes, then descended towards her cheeks, and then brought his lips close to hers. She puckered her lips, and Naruto grinned. Ino frowned and opened her eyes. She said, "You going to leave me waiting?" He said, "Nope, just savoring the moment."

He kissed her, sweetly and slowly, savoring every bit of her. She leaned in, and he put his left arm behind her back, caressing her hair with his right. He placed his fingers in the small of her back, in a way he knew she loved most. Ino moaned slightly, and continued kissing him, pushing him towards the wall slightly. Just then, the doorbell rang, and the two of them broke apart with a jerk.

Naruto said, "Don't mind. My clone will answer it." The clone suddenly dispelled and Naruto groaned, "What is Sakura doing here?" Ino said, "Well, I guess today just isn't your day, Ruto-kun." He smiled and said, "What did you call me? I liked it." Ino smiled and said, "Get ready. I'll answer." She got out of the shower and put on a bathrobe, before heading out. Naruto finished his shower and put on his bathrobe too. He headed out to hear Ino saying, "Yeah, he's finishing his shower. I guess he'll be ready to go whenever you need him to."

Sakura said, "Good. I was hoping to get in a few details before we left, though." Naruto came out into the room and said, "What's going on, Sakura?" She looked at him and smiled, "Good morning, Naruto. I just got a mission, and you're with me. I thought I should talk to you about it before we leave." He nodded and said, "Let me get dressed and then we can talk. Have a seat." She nodded and said, "What about you, Ino?"

Ino frowned and said, "What about me what?" Sakura said, "You going to put anything on besides that bathrobe of yours?" Ino said, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Never mind, I don't have anything today, I can change whenever I want." Sakura sat down in one of the chairs and Ino said, "No, that's where I sit." Sakura frowned and said, "You can't sit anywhere else?"

Ino said, "No, you see, this chair is ideally located, both in relation to the heat source in the winter, and a cross breeze in the summer. It's close enough to the radiator that I'm warm, but not so close as to make me sweat. In the summer, it's directly in the path of the cross breeze, created by opening windows there, and there. It also faces the television at a direct angle, allowing me to immerse myself in entertainment, without being subjected to conversation. As a result, I've placed it in a state of eternal dibs."

Sakura stared at her in confusion and Ino elaborated, "My chair, my rules." Sakura shrugged and sat in the next chair, saying, "Whatever." Ino said, "So, what's this mission that you guys are going on?" Sakura replied, "Nothing great, just an escort mission, but the client specifically requested Naruto, and Lady Tsunade wanted me to get out of the village some more than I have been recently."

Ino nodded and said, "How's your training going? Naruto said that you've been having trouble finding someone to train with, since lady Tsunade's busy." Sakura nodded and said, "I got Tenten to train me. She may not be as physically strong as me, but her weapon's skills more than make up for it." Ino said, "Yes, she's really something else when it comes to ranged fighting. I doubt that even Naruto could keep up with her in a fight." Sakura said, "We should ask them to try it out some time."

Naruto came out and said, "Alright, Sakura. I'm ready. What's the mission?" Sakura stood and said, "I'll tell you on the way. Let's go, we'll be late." He nodded and Ino also stood. She said, "Be safe." He nodded and pecked her on the lips. Sakura looked away, embarrassed. Naruto said, "I'll be back soon." Ino nodded and the team mates left the house.

Naruto said, "So, what is it?" Sakura said, "What is what?" Naruto face palmed and said, "The mission, of course." Sakura said, "Oh yeah, the mission. You remember Koichi-san?" Naruto frowned and struggled to remember. Then his eyes lit up and he said, "That merchant we met while coming back from the Land of Waves?"

Sakura nodded and said, "He is our client. He had come to the Land of Fire for a while, to sell his merchandise, and he is on his way back now. Our mission is to escort him. It's a B-Ranked mission, but he specifically requested us. And Lady Tsunade also felt that it's high time we went on more missions now." Naruto nodded and said, "So, where is Koichi-san now?"

Sakura said, "He's in Tanzaku Town, waiting for us. We should go quickly, I've heard that some bandits have recently entered the town and are trying to terrorize the people around." Naruto said, "Alright, then. Let's pick up the pace." He took off, using his chakra to increase his jumps, and Sakura struggled to keep up. However, she was not one to give up, and the duo managed to reach Tanzaku Town fairly quickly.

As they reached the town, Naruto stopped and Sakura landed beside him. She saw Naruto looking confused and said, "What is it, Naruto? Anything odd?" He nodded and pointed. She saw an empty spot where his finger was pointed at and said, "What? What is it?"

Naruto said, "I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I definitely think that there was a restaurant here." Sakura said, "Well, it must have been torn down. Come on, we need to get going." Naruto stopped her and said, "Don't you smell it?" Sakura stopped and said, "Smell what, Naruto?"

He sniffed the air and said, "Something weird in the air, like some sort of gas. I don't know what it is exactly, but it doesn't feel right." Sakura said, "One moment." She enabled her Five Sense Augmentation, and gasped. After turning off her GenJutsu, she said, "That's a poisonous gas, Naruto! It is faint here, at the edges, but I was clearly able to sense it. And it's not common too, because I remember that Shizune uses it, and it is very difficult to find the plants to make this poison. It doesn't kill, put paralyzes people with weaker nervous systems, and knocks out regular people. "

Naruto said, "Do you have any gas masks on you?" Sakura nodded and said, "I always keep some in a sealing scroll." Naruto said, "I didn't know that you could perform FuinJutsu." Sakura shook her head and said, "I purchased them from the new shop which has opened up in the west part of our village. It's quite good too, the materials that the guy uses are of a much higher quality."

Sakura unwound her scroll, placed her right hand on it, and focused her chakra. A second later, two masks appeared onto the scroll. Naruto said, "That's certainly nice. The parchment is thicker, and heavier. I should take a look at the shop sometime." He put on a mask, and then said, "Can you hear me through this?" Sakura replied in a muffled voice, "Not clearly, Naruto."

He signed to her, "Let's speak in sign language." Sakura nodded and the two of them proceeded into the village. Naruto signed, "Up ahead." Sakura spotted two people walking through the cloud of poisonous fog. She signed back, "They are wearing masks, too." Naruto nodded and signed, "Let's take them out."

She shook her head vigorously and signed, "No, not yet. We don't know how many of them there are." Naruto nodded and then signed, "Wait, I have an idea." Sakura looked at him in confusion, and he signed, "Sage Mode. I will be able to find out how many of them there are." She gave him a thumbs up. Naruto sat down, concentrating on the nature energy in the atmosphere. He stood up after a couple of minutes and signed, "Around fourteen to fifteen guys. All are armed with swords, and kunais. Look like bandits."

Sakura signed, "Have you noted their locations?" He nodded and she signed, "Let's take them out, quietly." Naruto signed, "Alright." The two of them headed into the fog, and Sakura took out the first guy they met, with a punch that cracked the man's jaw. He fell to the floor, out cold, and the second guy turned around, only for his head to meet Naruto's knuckles. The two of them lay on the floor, and Naruto signed, "We should get rid of the bodies." Sakura signed back, "Let's put them in a building somewhere and I'll put a GenJutsu on them."

The duo carried the bodies into a building and Sakura signed, "Ninja Arts: Dreams of Illumination." The two men began drooling, and Naruto gave Sakura a thumbs up. They left the building, moving slowly and carefully. They rinsed and repeated the process until all the men were either knocked out, or unfortunately dead.

Sakura signed, "We should have got rid of this fog." Naruto facepalmed and and signed, "I just remembered that I've got a technique." He signed and said in a muffled voice, "Wind Style: Four Winds Scattering!" The winds started moving quickly, and at his gesture, began to fly towards the south. The fog went along with it. Sakura tentatively took off her mask and then said, "That was good, Naruto. Quite a handy technique." Naruto took off his mask and said, "I know, it works wonders on jutsus which require poison fogs or the like."

The pink haired teen said, "Now, let's find Koichi-san and complete our mission." Naruto shook his head and said, "We can't just leave the town in this state! We need to do something about it." Sakura said, "No, Naruto. I'm the mission leader, and I can't put something like this in front of the mission." Naruto said, "Fine. But once we get Koichi-san to his destination, we come back here and investigate. Capisce?"

Sakura said, "If there's time, then maybe. Now, let's get going. Koichi-san should be in the hotel around the block from here." Naruto said, "That one? Wow, that brings back memories. That was the hotel where Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki once tried to capture me from." Sakura said, "Really? I didn't know it was this one."

Naruto nodded and said, "They've totally redone it, after the spot of mess with Pervy Sage summoning the belly of the Mountain Toad over there." Sakura scrunched up her nose in disgust and said, "Eww. That's gross." Naruto nodded and said, "Tell me about it. I was pulled into one of the walls to keep me safe from the Akatsuki. Itachi somehow managed to escape, I don't know how."

The two of them reached the hotel and Naruto said, "Weird. I don't sense anyone in there." Sakura said, "Maybe they are somewhere else, because of the attack." Naruto nodded and said, "Wait a moment. I can faint voices." He listened harder and then said, "Some sort of gruff voices. I can't make out what they're saying."

Sakura said, "Should we go in?" Naruto said, "Hold on, I'll send some transformed clones in first." Sakura said, "Be careful, we don't know how strong these guys may be." Naruto formed three shadow clones and they transformed into mice, before speeding through the door of the hotel.

Naruto waited for a few minutes, before suddenly saying, "Alright. Sakura, there are seven guys in there, all like the ones we took out till now. All armed and one of them is wearing an ANBU mask." Sakura said, "Are you serious? ANBU?"

Naruto nodded and said, "But there's no village symbol, so I don't know where this guy is from." Sakura snorted, "Must be one of those ANBU masks on sale in the town shops. Let's bust in and take them out." Naruto looked at her in surprise and she said defensively, "What?" He smirked and said, "Usually I'm the one who suggests this sort of thing, and you're the one who hits me on the head and tells me to shut up. So it's just a little weird that you want to bust in."

Sakura said indignantly, "Look, we don't have much time, alright. We have to find Koichi and get the mission complete as well." Naruto nodded and said, "Give me five minutes." Sakura asked, "Why?" Naruto smiled and said, "Wait and watch."

Five minutes later, four Blood Clones of Naruto and the original were standing outside the door, next to Sakura, each with yellow eyes. Sakura said, "On the count of three. One, two, three!" She blew the door in and the people inside stared in surprise. The guy in the ANBU shouted, "Leaf shinobi! Stop them!"

All of Naruto's clones started clearing the room, wiping the floor with the bandits. Naruto and Sakura cut off the ANBU guy, who was trying to escape. He snarled and said, "Who the hell are you? And what do you want?"

Sakura laughed and said, "We kinda wanted to ask you the same thing. Why are you terrorizing the village?" The masked bandit saw his last accomplice fall and all of the other clones came and stood behind the original Naruto. The bandit knew that he was cornered. He said, "We are searching for a rare weapon. It is said to be legendary, and the one who wields it will be the ultimate ninja."

Sakura said, "What is this weapon called?" The bandit said, "It is called the Golden Wind Cutter." Sakura said, "Hmm…I seem to have heard of that name before." The bandit nodded and said, "It is very famous. Every ninja in the world dreams of having that weapon." Sakura said, "Oh, yeah, now I remember! Lady Tsunade had told me about it. It is said that Orochimaru's sword is modelled after the original Golden Wind Cutter."

The bandit said, "You know Lady Tsunade? The Fifth Hokage?" Sakura said, "I'm her student." The bandit balked. He said, "Please let me go, I promise I'll never hurt anyone again."

Naruto said roughly, "Why were you here anyway?" The man said, "I heard that the sword was somewhere in this area. That is why I was searching for it." Naruto said, "Get out of here. And take that mask off." The man slowly took off his mask. Judging by his face, he was middle aged, and average looking. He said, "I am sorry. I will not trouble anyone ever again." He scampered off, and Sakura said, "Should we have let him off so easily?"

Naruto said, "Never mind him. He was just small fry. Let's get on with the mission." A thumping noise got their attention, and Sakura said, "Let's check." Naruto nodded and the two of them came up to a door. Naruto opened it, and it turned out to be a broom cupboard. A cupboard out of which a man fell out.

Sakura quickly untied him and removed his gag. He gasped in mouthfuls of air, and said, "Thank you, thank you so much." Naruto said, "Why did they tie you up in there?" The man said, "I am the manager of this place. They demanded that I let them stay in the hotel without paying. I refused, so they tied me up."

Naruto said, "Well, you're free now. Anyway, we need to get on with our mission. Sakura, got any ideas about where Koichi might be?" The manager said, "Koichi? You mean that old merchant?" Naruto said, "Yeah. Do you know him?" The man nodded and said, "Koichi-san had booked a room here yesterday. He should be up in his room. It's on the second floor, to the right. Room no. 214. All the people are in their rooms, since those people came and hijacked the place."

Naruto and Sakura thanked the manager and went to room 214. They knocked and a voice said, "Who is it?" Naruto said, "It's me, old man. Naruto, along with Sakura." The door opened after a moment and Koichi looked at them happily. He said, "Thank the gods that you are here. I was really afraid of those bandits that took over this place. I assume you got rid of them?"

The duo nodded and Koichi said, "That is a relief. You see, I'm transporting something rather rare, and I wouldn't want them to get their hands on it." Sakura frowned and said, "It wouldn't be a sword, would it?"

Koichi nodded, surprised. He said, "How do you know?" Naruto said, "We fought the guy who was hunting it. He told us about it. So, it's real then?" Koichi said, "Yes, of course it is. It belongs to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire right now, who bought it some time ago from a museum in the Land of Waves. I was on the way with some merchandise here, and the owner of the museum is an old friend, so I was tasked with carrying it here, and decided to have you guys help me out." Naruto nodded and said, "If you don't mind, can I see it?"

Koichi nodded and picked up one of his bags. He pulled out a long package from the bag, and carefully unwrapped it, and took the sword out of its scabbard. He handed it to Naruto, whose eyes gleamed at the sight. Sakura stared in awe at the sword.

Naruto said, "It's wonderful!" The pinkette nodded and said, "It's so beautiful! How can something so beautiful be so deadly?!" Naruto ran his fingers on the blade and cut his hand on it. Sakura said, "Don't be an idiot, Naruto! Don't you know that this sword can cut through anything by a mere touch of the blade?"

Naruto nodded and said, "I wanted to see if it is true. And I regenerate, so I could test it on myself quite easily." Koichi said, "It is stunning. Look at the intricacy of the design on the blade." They all saw the design, and Naruto said, "Wait a minute. That's not a design."

Sakura frowned and took a closer look. She said, "Yeah, you're right. It's kanji. It's so small, that no one would see it unless they held it up close." Naruto said, "This is some sort of FuinJutsu." Sakura said, "How so?"

Naruto held up the sword level to his eyes and read the words in his mind. He said, "Yup, it's definitely FuinJutsu. I learnt sealing arts on my trip with Jiraiya, so I know. It's a sealing jutsu which will activate if the sword is forcefully taken out of its owner's hand."

Sakura said, "So, how come it hasn't activated now?" Naruto pondered on that and then said, "Koichi-san, did the museum owner give this sword to you himself?" Koichi said, "Indeed. He gave it to me and had it wrapped afterwards. I was a little surprised that he allowed me to touch it. I guess this is why."

Naruto said, "Yeah. That's the condition which the sword works on. If the current owner passes it on to another person, then the sword won't activate the seal. However, if someone forcefully takes the sword, then... according to the kanji, it will trap them in a web of hundred GenJutsus."

Sakura gasped; a hundred GenJutsus! Naruto passed the sword back to Koichi and said, "Keep it safe, Koichi-san." The merchant nodded and said, "Let's get this over with, then, shall we?" The team-mates nodded.

A few minutes later, all three of them left the hotel. Since Naruto and Sakura had managed to liberate the hotel manager, he tried to return Koichi's money. However, Koichi refused to take it. The manager bid them farewell, and the three of them headed towards the capital.

Sakura said, "It's weird. These guys were so weak, and yet they were able to capture an entire town." Naruto said, "That's because no one was guarding it. I have no doubt that the police in this area are getting complacent." Sakura said, "We should report this to Lady Tsunade as soon as possible." The blonde nodded.

Koichi said, "No, actually these guys are quite strong. They were able to overpower the police." Naruto said, "Really? They didn't seem strong to me." Koichi smiled and said, "That's because you are ninjas. These guys may be strong, but are no match for full-fledged ninjas."

Sakura said, "Still, we need to notify Lady Tsunade. Perhaps we could take a ninja training session for the police here, to make them stronger." Naruto nodded and grinned, saying, "Gai sensei should take it. The police would love that." Sakura laughed and said, "Yeah, if they intend to die, that is."

A couple of hours later, the three of them reached the capital. Koichi led them to the palace and the guards outside stopped them. One of them said, "What business do you have here?" Koichi said, "We are here to deliver the Golden Wind Cutter to the Daimyo." The guard laughed and said, "The Golden Wind Cutter? Get out of here, there is no place for crazy people here."

Naruto flared up immediately, "Hey, what the heck is your problem, huh! Koichi-san, show him the sword." Koichi nodded and took the sword out of his bag. He pulled the sword out of his scabbard, and showed it to the guard. The guard was mesmerized by the beauty of the sword. He said, "How is this possible? I had heard that this was nothing but a myth!"

Naruto said, "Well, guess what, genius. It's not. And our Daimyo has bought this sword. So get out of here, and make way." Koichi kept the sword back in, and was about to say something, when a shout came down, from the palace terrace, "HEY, NARUTO!" The blonde looked up in confusion and surprise, only to see Narumi looking down at him, glowing with happiness.

A few minutes later, Narumi was at the entrance of the palace, hugging Naruto as though he was her personal teddy bear. The guards were stumped at this and one said, "Narumi-san, should you really be…"

Narumi looked at him crossly and said, "Did I ask you to speak, Kenichi?!" The guard fell silent. Narumi hugged Sakura too, and then said, "Come in. How are you guys here?" Naruto said, "We are transporting a sword here. Your father bought it from a museum in the land of Waves."

They headed inside, and Narumi led them to her father's office. She chattered about her school and life the entire way, and finally said, "I found a wonderful guy, Naruto. He looks a little like you too, although he has black hair, and no whiskers on his face, and he wears glasses. He's really wonderful, and quite bold, just like you. But he's warm at heart, and quite popular."

Sakura said, "Looks like you got yourself a real winner, Narumi." She nodded and said, "But I really miss all of you guys. I am coming to the next Chunin exams, and I hope to meet you guys then." Naruto said, "Of course, we'll have fun." They reached the Daimyo's office, and Narumi knocked. The Daimyo said, "Who is it?"

Narumi replied, "It's me, father. Koichi-san is here, with your sword from the land of Waves." The Daimyo said, "Come in." All of them trooped in, and the Daimyo looked at Naruto in surprise. He said, "Naruto Uzumaki? What are you doing here?"

Naruto, meanwhile, was stumped. He said, "You're the Daimyo?!" Sakura gasped at the rude sentence and knocked him hard on the head. Naruto was not affected in the slightest and continued, "Aren't all Daimyos fat and ugly?!" Koichi and Sakura's mouth fell open, but the Daimyo's eyes twinkled and he said, "I'll take that as a compliment then. It is good to finally meet you, Naruto-kun. I daresay, I've heard a lot about you from my daughter."

Naruto, now that he was out of his reverie, finally felt the impact of Sakura's punch, and cried out in pain. She shouted, "Serves you right! Thinking you can talk to the Daimyo like that!" The Daimyo said, "It's alright. I don't mind in the slightest. Let's all have a seat, shall we?"

Everyone sat around the coffee table in the room. Koichi took the sword out and knelt in front of the Daimyo. The Daimyo accepted the sword, and said, "It is truly amazing, isn't it?" Narumi gasped in awe, and said, "It's…it's…wow!" The Daimyo smiled and Naruto said, "Hey, Daimyo-sama, how do you know me?"

The Daimyo said, "I'll tell you in a moment, but allow me to introduce myself to you first. My name is Hisoka. Don't hesitate to call me by name, I don't like all the honorific stuff." Everyone nodded and Naruto said, "Well, I can certainly see where Narumi comes from." Everyone laughed and Hisoka said, "I heard a lot about you as a child, and took an interest to reading about your missions. I gradually starting learning a lot about you. And I guess Narumi borrowed my files when I was done with them."

Narumi blushed slightly and Hisoka laughed. Naruto nodded and said, "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you, Hisoka-san?" The man replied, "38. Why do you ask?" Naruto replied, "It's just that, I've never seen a young Daimyo before, and I grew up with stories about how Daimyos are weak and foolish. But you don't strike me as either. You look quite strong and determined."

Sakura said, "Yeah, it even struck me as well, although I wasn't going to say it." Hisoka smiled and said, "Well, I always wanted to do something for my country, and so I led a very determined life, fighting for everything I believed in." Naruto said, "Then we have something in common, huh?" Hisoka said, "Indeed we do. I know that you wish to be Hokage. I also know that you are strong enough to be one, now. However, being Hokage is not all about leading the village and earning respect from others. There are a lot of things related to economy and finance, which will take some time for you to learn, based on your previous records of attention."

Everyone laughed again, and Koichi said, "Naruto, you should tell Hisoka-san about the sword's jutsu." Hisoka frowned and Naruto said, "The sword has an ancient FuinJutsu inscribed on it. If anyone ever forces it out of your hands, the FuinJutsu will be activated and the victim will be captured in a hundred GenJutsus."

Hisoka said, "That is interesting. I should make sure that none of my family members touches it. Understood, Narumi?" The girl nodded and said, "It is beautiful. Where are you going to keep it, father?" He said, "In this very office, on my desk." He picked it up gently and carried it to his desk, where he had two brackets installed previously. He put the sword into the desk and said, "How does that look?" Everyone nodded appreciatively.

Naruto said, "Be careful, though, Hisoka-san. That sword has attracted a lot of attention." The Daimyo nodded and Koichi said, "Well, then. I must get going now, my business can't wait much longer." The Daimyo nodded and said, "It was good to finally meet you, Naruto. And you too, Sakura. I hope that the two of you achieve whatever goals you have set in life."

The ninjas bowed to him, along with Koichi, and Narumi escorted them back out. She said, "Can't you stay a little while?" Koichi said, "I wish we could, but I must get back as soon as possible. My shop is doing well recently, and I don't want my customers to go to others because I'm not there." Naruto said, "We have our orders, Narumi. Maybe we can meet some other time."

Narumi nodded and hugged them goodbye. The three turned and walked away. It was afternoon at this point, and Koichi said, "We should rest a while. I'm not as young as I used to be, and the land of Waves is far away." Everyone nodded and the three of them found an inn on the outskirts of the capital.

Naruto stretched his legs inside their room and said, "It's good to take a rest. I'll be refreshed once I have something to eat, though." Sakura nodded and said, "Koichi-san, let's go for some dinner." The merchant said, "I cannot. I have a stomach condition, and can only eat some limited amount of food. I've got some. In any case, I am too tired to step out now."

Naruto said, "Guess it's just you and me, Sakura." The pinkette nodded and they said, "We'll be back in an hour or so, Koichi-san. Have a nice rest." Koichi waved them goodbye. Naruto and Sakura walked towards a local restaurant. Naruto smiled suddenly, and Sakura, looking at him sideways, said, "What is it?"

Naruto replied, "Look at us, strolling together towards a restaurant. When I used to try so hard to get you to come on a date with me, I ended up being beaten up, or simply ignored. But now that I've got a girlfriend, we can go for dinner without me saying that it's a date." Sakura smiled and said, "Well, I never really thought about it that way until now."

The two walked in silence for a while and then the blonde suddenly said, "Sakura, do you still think about Sasuke?" Sakura gave him a small sad smile and said, "Of course. Every day of my life. Do you?" Naruto put his arms behind his head, and replied nonchalantly, "Almost every minute of my life." Sakura was surprised; she had expected him to be tough and deny it. She said sorrowfully, "I feel very sad that I couldn't change him. I always felt that he was just cool and silent, but I didn't know that he had such a deep desire for revenge that he would be manipulated by anyone."

Naruto said, "I tried so hard, but I couldn't bring him back. But I promise, Sakura, that one day, I will bring him back. No matter what happens to me, I will not let him go back to that path of vengeance. Even if I have to kill Itachi Uchiha for that to happen."

Sakura said, "Do you really believe you can defeat Itachi?" Naruto smiled and said, "Why not?" Sakura said, "Well, for starters, he's got the Mangekyo Sharingan. He's an elite shinobi, and comes from one of the greatest clans in the world." Naruto said, "I'm an Uzumaki, Sakura. You may not know it, but the Uzumakis were once the greatest clan in the world."

Sakura said, "How do you know that?" Naruto simply smiled and said, "I'll tell you some other time." They reached a restaurant and Naruto stood aside, saying, "Ladies first." Sakura smiled and said, "You have really grown, Naruto. You're not the same annoying little kid that you used to be." Naruto smiled and said, "Thanks. Now, let's get some ramen to eat!"

Sakura shook her head in disappointment and said, "And he goes and blows it again."

After a wonderful lunch, Naruto and Sakura headed back to the hotel and woke Koichi up. The man said, "Alright that was a good rest. Let's be on our way." The three of them resumed their journey.

A few hours into the way, the trio encountered a group of bandits. The leader said, "You haven't paid the road toll. Hand over all your money, now." Naruto scoffed and said, "And who the heck are you?" The man said, "I am the toll collector of this area. No one enters without paying up, you understand?" One of the bandits behind him said, "Boss, look at those…" The leader said, "Shut up! Do I pay you to talk?!" The man shut up, but looked at Naruto uncomfortably.

The leader said, "You will pay us, either with money, or with…services." He leered at Sakura. She balled her hands shut into fists and said, "Naruto, let's get this over with quickly. I'm really not in the mood to waste time." Naruto grinned and said, "How about you take 'em this time, Sakura? You are the leader for this mission, after all." Sakura nodded and walked up to the leader. He noticed her headband and thought, 'Crap, they're Leaf ninjas." He said, "Hold on, hold on. Maybe we could settle for something?" Sakura smiled sweetly at him and said, "Sure. Let's settle for THIS!" She drew back her hand and punched the leader, so hard, that he flew back into two other guys behind him, and landed on the ground. He didn't get up, and the others saw a dent in his stomach.

The guy who had noticed their headbands before said, "Run, guys! They ain't worth it!" All of them took to their heels, and Naruto smiled, "Good job, Sakura." The pinkette walked back to them and said, "I get really pissed off at guys like these. All they think about is money and sex."

Naruto said, "Well, this guy ain't getting up again, that's for sure." Koichi said, "I pity any poor fool who gets on Sakura's wrong side." Everyone laughed and continued on their trip.

A day and a half later, the three of them walked across the Great Naruto Bridge. Naruto smiled and said, "Kind of weird to see something that has your own name on it." Sakura's eyes glazed over and she said, "This brings back memories." The three of them walked on in silence for a while. They reached Koichi's house and he said, "Thanks a lot, you guys. I couldn't have made it without you."

They smiled and he said, "Here's your payment." Sakura accepted the payment and put it away in a pocket. Naruto said, "Alright! Mission complete!" Sakura said, "When will you stop that, Naruto!" He smiled and said proudly, "When I'm the one sending others on missions." Sakura shook her head in exaggerated disappointment.

They bid farewell to Koichi and headed back. Sakura looked at Naruto as he ran and thought, 'He's still the same old Naruto, although he's grown up and become a little more thoughtful. I was stupid never to have noticed how kind and good he is before. Lucky Ino. Wait, what? What am I thinking?!'

She blushed slightly at the warm feeling in her heart, and thought, 'Is this really happening? Am I really starting to like Naruto?!' She looked at him again as he ran, seeing his determined face, his lean figure and thought, 'He is perfect. He's strong, agile, determined. Sure he's a little goofy, but more importantly, he's good at heart. And he's got one hell of an ambition.'

She thought about this for quite some time, until Naruto broke the silence, "What's up, Sakura? You seem very quiet." Sakura said, "Just thinking about some things that I have to do in the future." He nodded and went back to running. She noticed that he was much faster than before and said, "How did you get so fast and strong, Naruto?" He said, "What's that?"

She repeated the question and he frowned, saying, "Just training, you know. I did have some pretty intensive training when I was off with Pervy Sage." Sakura said, "I was trained by Lady Tsunade. I can relate to hard training. But I'm still not as fast as you, nor as strong, if you compare getting stronger in a factor of time."

Naruto said, "Everyone has different potentials, Sakura. I also used a lot of Shadow Clones to help me with my training. And I've always had a lot of stamina and chakra, so that helped me out a lot. In fact, Kakashi sensei said that I have four times as much chakra as he does. If you trained the same way as me, you would be dead by now." Sakura gasped and Naruto nodded, saying, "You have a particular limit, just like I do. The difference between our speed and strength is that my limit is higher than yours."

Sakura nodded and they continued running, much faster than the average shinobi. They made it to the village in less than a day, and Naruto said, "You're pretty quick too, Sakura. We made it back quite fast." Sakura said, "Come on, let's report to Lady Tsunade."

Naruto nodded and the two of them reached Ninja Ops to find Lady Tsunade standing on the roof with a masked shinobi. Naruto jumped onto the roof along with Sakura. The female said, "Mission complete, Lady Tsunade." The Hokage nodded and said, "File the report and keep it on my desk." Naruto looked suspiciously at the man in the mask, and Tsunade said, "Is there a problem, Naruto?"

Naruto took a long, hard look at the man and said, "No, nothing, Grandma Tsunade." Sakura said, "I would like to talk in private, ma'am." Tsunade said, "What is it?" She looked hesitatingly at the ANBU member, and Tsunade said, "I shall talk to you later. Come to the office in two hours." The man nodded and was gone in a whirl of leaves. Naruto thought, 'Why does that person feel familiar?'

Sakura gave the report to Lady Tsunade, who was most astounded to hear about the Golden Wind Cutter. She said, "Interesting. But I need to speak with the Daimyo. He should have informed me of this development. This sword is quite famous, and anyone could kill him for it."

Sakura nodded and said, "There's something else. When we reached the rendezvous point, the place had been taken over by some bandits. Koichi-san said that they had overpowered the local police there. I think we should give some training to the police there so that they won't be so easily defeated the next time."

Tsunade thought about that and nodded, more to herself than to Sakura. She said, "I suppose we should, considering that the entire town was so easily taken captive. Well, I must say, you two did well, considering the risks you had to take. I would like it if you two applied for the Jonin trials, to be held three months later."

Naruto said, "Really? Are you sure, Grandma Tsunade? I heard that there are five different tests and one is of GenJutsu." Tsunade nodded and said, "You need to get your GenJutsu up to scratch, Naruto. I know that you took some lessons with Shizune, but you need to learn much more, if you want to stand any chance to become a Jonin. And remember that you cannot become Hokage, until you are qualified as a Jonin."

Naruto frowned and said, "Well, I need to buck up then. But I don't know anyone who could teach me GenJutsu enough to pass the Jonin Trials, in just three months. After all, I'm primarily a TaiJutsu type." Tsunade looked amused and said, "Who on earth told you that you're a TaiJutsu type? You can't even land straight after being thrown!"

Sakura looked at Naruto's cross face and laughed. Then she said, "Lady Tsunade, I think Naruto has improved a lot now, and he really is quite strong at TaiJutsu. He was able to shatter my ulna with a single punch when we were testing our strength against each other during training."

Tsunade looked surprised and said, "Really? I didn't notice Naruto's strength when I fought him." Naruto smirked and said, "That's coz I went easy on you, Grandma." Tsunade's eye twitched, but she maintained her composure nonetheless, and said, "Whatever. That is a good thing to hear for me. However, that brings me back to the GenJutsu dilemma. You need to take some more lessons from Shizune, Naruto. Make sure that you are proficient in GenJutsu until the Jonin trials, and learn at least enough to pass."

Naruto nodded and Sakura said, "What about me, Milady? Do you have any recommendations for me?"

Tsunade nodded and said, "Unlike Naruto, you are proficient in GenJutsu. However, your problem lies in NinJutsu. Perfect all the jutsus which you know and try to exceed their normal levels. That will give you an edge. Focus less on TaiJutsu now, although that is your main type as well." Sakura nodded.

Tsunade said, "Alright. You may leave now. I have some important business to attend to." Naruto hesitated and Tsunade noticed it. She narrowed her eyes and said, "What is it, Naruto? Is there something you want to tell me?" Naruto said, "I couldn't help but feel that something was familiar about that ANBU man with you earlier. Who is he?"

Tsunade thought, 'Damn, he's even more attentive that I thought.' She replied, "Nobody that you should concern yourself with, Naruto. At least not yet. ANBU members hide their faces for a reason, you know." Naruto said, "That wasn't the case with Kakashi sensei's friends, who showed me their old houses when I was searching for a place to stay."

Tsunade got irritated and said, "Just take my word for it this time, Naruto. I need to get some important work done, so get out before I throw you down from here." Naruto shrugged and left, and Sakura bowed before leaving as well. She caught up to Naruto and said, "Hey, wanna get something to eat?"

Naruto said, "Sorry, Sakura, I gotta get home and meet Ino. Maybe some other time." Sakura was disappointed, but didn't show it. She faked a smile and said, "Alrighty, then. Let's meet some other time. I could give you some pointers in GenJutsu too, if you want."

Naruto nodded and said, "I might do that. Thanks a ton, Sakura." Sakura waved goodbye and walked off. Naruto also started walking back home. He reached home and rang the bell. Ino opened the door and said, "Hi, Naruto! You're back earlier than I thought you would be. Come on in." Naruto thought, 'What's with the overly cheerful welcome? She's never done that before.'

Ino was thinking at the same time, 'Thank God! If he had been here even a couple of minutes earlier, I would have been totally busted.' She said, "So, how'd the mission go, Naruto?"

Naruto began telling her about the mission and she listened only half-heartedly. Her mind was racing and she was thinking only about one thing, 'How do I plan for his birthday?' Naruto noticed that she wasn't paying attention to him, and stopped. He said, "Is everything alright, Ino?" Ino was startled and said, "No, nothing, Naruto. Why do you ask?"

Naruto looked at her suspiciously and said, "I may not be an interrogator like you, but I can also tell when someone is hiding something. Don't tell me if you don't want to, but I can feel that you're nervous." Ino was getting desperate now. She said, "No, Naruto, it's…it's nothing like that. I was just preoccupied, that's all."

Naruto shrugged and said, "Alright. I'm off to take a shower, Ino. If you make up your mind to tell me what it is, then I'll be waiting to hear it." He left the room, leaving Ino alone with her thoughts.

As Naruto entered the shower, Ino thought, 'I should tell him. Or should I? He's never even had a birthday party in his entire life! I wanted to give him a surprise. But he's quite attentive. I don't know what to do!' Her mind went back to yesterday…

_"__Hey, Choji! Shikamaru!" _

_Both the males looked behind as Ino ran up to them. She said, "Hey, guys. Long time. Where have you been?" Choji said, "I've been assigned to individual missions lately. And Shikamaru is assisting Lady Tsunade in the treaty between the Leaf and Sand villages."_

_Ino nodded and said, "I wanted you guys to help me with something." Choji said, "What is it?" Ino began to speak but Shikamaru said, "Is it about Naruto's birthday?" Ino gaped at him and then said, "How on earth do you know?" _

_Shikamaru yawned and said, "After that mission of ours, I went to lady Tsunade to ask her about that Byakugan user. She refused to tell me anything about it, but while talking, she mentioned that you were preoccupied about Naruto's upcoming sixteenth birthday."_

_Ino said, "Great. And you still didn't come and talk to me?"_

_Shikamaru said, "I thought the whole thing is just too troublesome. Giving a secret party and stuff isn't up to my standards." Ino said, "That's for damn sure. But I need your help, guys. I need to call in everyone and get them to come for the party." Choji scratched his cheek and said, "Gee, I'm sorry, Ino. I've got a mission coming up in a couple of days, which is exactly on Naruto's birthday. And I can't miss a mission, even for Naruto."_

_Ino was disappointed. She looked at Shikamaru and he shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't make it either, Ino. I have to be in the Sand village that day. In fact, I'm preparing to leave right now." Ino said, "I see. Well, we can't help it. You guys have important work to do. What is a birthday anyway, right? Not that he will look forward to it or anything."_

_Choji saw tears coming out of her eyes and began to speak, but Shikamaru stepped on his foot and shook his head. Choji stopped and nodded sadly. Shikamaru put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I'm sorry Ino, but this is just the way it is. If we could help you, of course we would. After all, we're best friends." Ino nodded and wiped her tears, and said, "I guess I'll just go and ask everyone else."_

_Shikamaru and Choji nodded and took off. Ino walked towards the training ground where she knew Team 10 would be. And sure enough, there they were, Lee doing pushups while Neji and Tenten were sparring. Gai sensei was nowhere to be seen. Ino walked up to them and Lee got up. Neji and Tenten stopped and bowed, before facing her. Tenten smiled and said, "What's up, Ino?"_

_Ino said, "I wanted you guys to help me out. I'm organizing a party for Naruto's birthday which is in three days, and I need people to help me arrange it properly." Lee said enthusiastically, "YOSH! We shall give Naruto the best birthday he has ever had in his life!" Tenten also nodded but Neji remained neutral. In fact, he looked like he was thinking about something. Ino said, "Neji? What about you?" _

_Neji said, "Now that you mention it, three days, right? If I remember correctly, we have a mission in the Land of Birds in three days' time. Yes, of course. Lee, Tenten, don't you remember it? Lady Tsunade assigned us to that mission specifically. Even Gai sensei will be coming with us." Ino's face fell, and Tenten felt very sad for her. She went over and comforted her, saying, "I'm sure you can find someone else. I wish I could be there, but we can't abandon a mission for Naruto."_

_Ino said, "Of course. I understand." She walked off dejectedly. Tenten's heart went out to her, but there was nothing she could do. _

_Ino met Konohamaru as she was walking to the Ninja Ops. She asked him if he would attend Naruto's birthday party, to which Konohamaru responded with a giant yes. However, Moegi was quick to point out that the team had a C-Rank mission the very same day, along with Ebisu-sensei. Konohamaru said, "Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. Well, we'll just get it re-assigned to the next day." Moegi said, "It's an escort mission, we cannot re-assign it." _

_Konohamaru said, "I guess there's no choice then. Sorry, Ino-san." Ino put on a brave face and said, "No problem. Maybe some other time." The Genin team walked off and Ino took off._

_Ino walked over to the Ops building and met Raido at the gates. She said, "I wish to speak to Lady Tsunade." Raido nodded and let her in. Tsunade was doing some paperwork and didn't even look up as Ino entered. Ino stood respectfully until Tsunade looked up and said, "Hello Ino. What can I do for you?"_

_Ino said, "You know that it is Naruto's birthday in three days. Everyone who I have spoken to until now has some sort of mission going on. How can I give Naruto a nice surprise when none of his friends are available?" Tsunade fixed Ino with a piercing look and said, "Do you know why I haven't assigned you to a mission yet, Ino? Or for that matter, Naruto, after he comes back from this one? It's because I want the two of you to have a nice day together on his birthday. However, I can't give every ninja who knows him a leave on his birthday, even if it his sixteenth. The village has been short-handed lately, and I've had to send Genin on C-Rank missions more often than before. I couldn't possible stop the village from functioning because of one ninja."_

_Ino argued, "But Naruto has never had a birthday in his entire life! Surely you understand that this is the one chance that he has to experience it, before he becomes an adult!" Tsunade said firmly, "I understand, which is why I am not sending the two of you anywhere. Let me remind you that the two of you are famous in your own fields and have been requested for numerous missions right now, which I have turned down, or sent other people on, simply to give the two of you privacy on his birthday. This discussion is over, Ino. Kindly leave now, I have a lot of work to get to."_

_Ino left the office in a rage and Tsunade thought, 'Golly, she's becoming as short tempered as Naruto.'_

_Ino sat on top of the Fourth Hokage's head, crying her heart out. She thought miserably, 'Nothing's going the way it should. Nobody's available. Even Kakashi sensei is nowhere to be found, and Sakura is on a mission anyway. What do I do?'_

Naruto came out of his shower, rubbing his head with a towel. He said, "Ino, want to get a bite to eat?" Ino came out of her trance and said, "Sure. Let's go." Naruto got dressed in civilian clothes, as did Ino, and the two of them left the house together and went to a new restaurant that had opened up in town.

Naruto ordered food and Ino sat quietly. The male blonde took her hand and said, "Look, Ino. I know something's bothering you, and frankly, I'm getting quite concerned about it. Why don't you tell me what it is?" Ino said, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm really sorry." Naruto said, "What for?"

Ino said miserably, "Don't you know what's in three days?" Naruto scratched his head, thinking about it. Ino looked at him in incredulous amazement. He finally said, "Got it! The academy has asked me to teach the kids a little TaiJutsu in three days!"

Ino said, "No, that's the day after it." Naruto said, "Then I don't know." Ino face palmed and said, "It's your birthday in three days, Naruto!" Naruto said, "My birthday? Oh yeah! I totally forgot about it. Is that what this is about, Ino?" Ino nodded and said sadly, "I've been trying to get everyone to come for a party, but no one is available. I can't think of what to do."

Naruto sat on her side of the table and comforted her. He said, "It's not a big deal, really, Ino. I've grown up without a single birthday, so I really don't know what it would be like to miss one." Ino shook her head and said, "I wanted you to experience it this time, because I'm with you now. What kind of a girlfriend am I, if I don't let my boyfriend have a wonderful birthday?"

Naruto said, "Now that you mention it, why can't we celebrate my birthday by ourselves? We don't need anyone else. Just plan a private day for the two of us, and don't tell anyone else about it." Ino's eyes lit up and she said, "Of course! I can do that! So, what can we do?"

Naruto smiled and said, "Surprise me." Ino nodded and the rest of their meal went much happier than before.


	35. Chapter 35: Itachi Speaks

**Author's Note:** Yo, what's up everybody, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys today, hope you enjoy it, if you do, please leave a review, it really makes me feel proud of myself. By the way, Merry Christmas to all you fellas and I hope you have a really good time celebrating. Sorry for the small chapter, I've been busy for a while now, but I try to upload consistently, so wish me luck to keep continuing this work. I'll see you guys in the next chapter and of course, Happy Reading!

**Chapter 35: Itachi Speaks**

After dinner, the blonde couple were walking home together happily, when Sakura showed up. She said, "Hi, you two. What's up?" Ino said, "We're just heading home from dinner."

Sakura nodded and said, "Naruto, Lady Tsunade wanted me to tell you that she wants to talk to you in private tomorrow on the roof of the Ninja Ops building. Be there at 10AM sharp. Alright?" Naruto nodded and then said, "Why'd she send you to tell me such a small thing? She could've sent any guard ninja."

Sakura sheepishly said, "I was in the office at the time, so she just told me to find you instead." Naruto said, "Oh, okay then. I guess I'll see you around then, Sakura. Goodnight." Sakura returned the greeting and stood aside as Ino and Naruto walked away. She looked at them with a slight twinge of jealousy.

Naruto and Ino reached home, and Ino said, "So, wanna watch a movie tonight?" Naruto said regretfully, "I'm sorry Ino. I need to get some shut eye, I've not had a rest since I came back from the mission. And I need to get up early tomorrow, get my exercise done before meeting Lady Tsunade. So, maybe tomorrow." Ino nodded and said, "Let's turn in, then."

The two of them went into the bedroom, unaware of the shadowy ANBU member sitting on their balcony railing, red eyes shining in the darkness. Itachi thought, 'Well, Naruto has certainly grown up since the last time I saw him. He's got a girlfriend as well. He's looking calm and thoughtful now, rather than the hyperactive guy he used to be. However, there's no way that Naruto would stay calm if he saw me in front of him. Hmm, how do I tackle this? I need Shisui's eye as soon as possible."

He jumped off the railing, and headed off and landed on the roof, and…

"Who are you? And why were you in my house?"

Itachi jumped as he sensed Naruto standing behind him. He turned around and spoke gruffly, trying to hide his voice, "Greetings, Uzumaki-san. I am sorry for the intrusion into your privacy, I am part of your ANBU guard. I am in charge of protecting you from the Akatsuki if you should ever face them. Lady Tsunade gave me this order."

Naruto said, "Well, well. I hope you're telling the truth, because I'm gonna speak to her in the morning, and if I find out that you're lying…"

Naruto cracked his knuckles, and Itachi smiled under his mask. He said, "Of course, Uzumaki-san, I would check with her myself if I was in your place. I'll leave now." He retreated from the roof, leaving Naruto standing there, looking suspicious and slightly confused. Itachi thought, 'I didn't think that he could notice me. He's really changed a lot.'

The Sharingan wielder raced towards the Ninja Ops, knowing that Naruto could very well tell Tsunade about this and he would have to warn her first. He reached and shunshined right into the building. Tsunade didn't even look up and said, "What is it, Itachi? Is there a problem?"

Itachi said, "I was surmising Naruto, and he caught me. I was able to tell him that you assigned me to his protection, but he said that you had called him here in the morning and that he intended to ask you if it was true. So I guessed it would be better to inform you of it first." Tsunade smirked and said, "You know, Itachi, Naruto doesn't need protection any more. He's even stronger than you are, without the Sharingan of course."

Itachi nodded and said, "I was trying to see a tactical advantage where I could take Shisui's eye back from him." Tsunade looked up from her paperwork and said, "Why don't you just use the Tsukuyomi?" Itachi looked at her in surprise and said, "You would allow that?"

Tsunade said, "You know as well as I do, that the Tsukuyomi is only harmful if used in a bad way. You could use the Tsukuyomi to take the eye from him, without hurting him in any way." Itachi slowly nodded and said, "I guess you're right. I was trying to think of a way without hurting him anyway."

Tsunade said, "How did you implant the eye into him though? And why?"

Itachi smiled as he remembered. He said, "It was during the mission where Gaara was to be rescued. I met him in the Forest of the Wind, which comes before the Sand Village. I was able to trap him in a minor Tsukuyomi then, and transplanted the eye into him."

Tsunade said, "That is interesting. Why didn't you tell me this before?"

Itachi said, "I was working undercover at that time, and was moving constantly. I didn't even tell Master Jiraiya about this." Tsunade nodded and said, "Well, then. How are you going to get Naruto in the Tsukuyomi again?"

Itachi said, "I guess it's time I wear the Akatsuki robes again." Tsunade smiled.

Sasuke walked slowly through the forest. His eyes constantly scanned the area and he searched for bandits as he walked around. The last few weeks had not gone well for the teenager. Orochimaru had been unable to find Itachi again, and as a result, the snakelike shinobi was forced back into the soul cage in Sasuke's body. Sasuke thought about the incident as he walked.

_Orochimaru raced through the woods in pursuit of a ninja. Sasuke watched through the soul cage with a look of boredom. Orochimaru caught up to the ninja and engaged him, taking him out quickly. The snakelike shinobi caught the ninja's neck and said, "Where is the current hideout of the Akatsuki?"_

_The ninja snorted and said, "You may as well kill me. I've sworn an oath of secrecy to the Akatsuki and I would never sell them out." Orochimaru licked his lips and smiled, "As you wish." He snapped the ninja's neck and dropped him, walking off as though nothing had happened._

_Sasuke said, "You're wasting your time, chasing down these cannon fodder ninjas. You would do better tracking down a Jinchuuriki and capturing it, for the Akatsuki." Just then, a figure rose up from the ground next to Orochimaru, and said, "Well, hello there, Sasuke."_

_Orochimaru looked at the figure with a look of recognition and Sasuke frowned, "Who is that? How does he know me?" Orochimaru said, "That is Zetsu, a member of the Akatsuki. What luck!"_

_Zetsu said, "Sasuke, I am Zetsu from the Akatsuki." Orochimaru said, "I know that, imbecile. Didn't you realize that I'm not Sasuke?" Zetsu stared at him and then said, "So, it was true. I didn't think that you would really hand over your body to this thief, Sasuke." Orochimaru said, "I'm glad that you're here, Zetsu. I needed to ask you something."_

_Zetsu said passively, "What would that be?"_

_The necromantic shinobi said, "I want to know the location of Itachi Uchiha." Zetsu smiled and said, "I am afraid I cannot answer you. For the record, the Akatsuki doesn't know where he is either."_

_Orochimaru frowned in confusion. He said, "What do you mean the Akatsuki doesn't have his location?" Zetsu elaborated, "Itachi and Kisame reported that they were on their way to capture the Three Tails Jinchuuriki. I suspect that the two of them have defected."_

_The snake user laughed and said, "What would they gain by defecting? They are S-Ranked criminals and have absolutely nowhere to go." Zetsu nodded and said, "We are trying to locate the two of them, but Itachi is as sly as they come. It has been difficult to even locate which country he may be in."_

_Orochimaru said, "What happened to Pein? Doesn't he possess that jutsu which allows him to locate anyone anywhere?" Zetsu calmly retorted, "That jutsu works only in specific positions and places, such as all the Akatsuki bases, and a few other selective areas." Orochimaru nodded and said, "Well then, if you have nothing else to offer, I suppose I should get going by now."_

_Zetsu raised his hand and said, "I wish to speak with Sasuke." _

_Orochimaru said, "He doesn't want to speak to an…garrphll." Orochimaru's vocal cords were cut off as Sasuke emerged from the cage. Orochimaru looked at him angrily as he found himself inside tha cage and said, "I told you not to do that." Sasuke said, "You don't have the right to tell anyone whether I want to talk to them or not. That's what you get for lying."_

_He turned to face Zetsu, who had become surprised at the sudden change in tone, and said, "What do you want, Zetsu?" The plant like shinobi said, "Well, master Pein asked me to find you and recruit you into the Akatsuki. We have a need for young and powerful shinobi like you. I would say that it is rather a good offer, rather than trying to survive here with a host inside your belly."_

_Sasuke said, "I'm an avenger. I walk on a lonely road, with no place for anyone else on it." Zetsu said, "Then how about this? Join us, and help us capture the Jinchuurikis. In return, you can have whatever you like, and we will also help you gather information about Itachi."_

_Sasuke thought about it and said, "Where is the nearest Akatsuki base?" Zetsu said, "Sorry, I cannot specify that to anyone except an Akatsuki member." Sasuke said, "Just give me a set of co-ordinates to come to if I make up my mind." Zetsu nodded and said, "Very well. Come to the edge of the Land of Fire, towards the south-west, where the mountains start. There is a giant oak tree there, which you shouldn't miss, with eyes like those." _

_Sasuke nodded and said, "I shall think about it." Zetsu smiled in triumph and vanished through the ground. Sasuke stood there pondering, until Orochimaru tugged at his control and said, "Do you mind? I'm trying to accomplish something and it will work best if I'm in control. Sit thinking about this offer on your own time. And word of warning, the Akatsuki cannot be trusted."_

_Sasuke rescinded control to Orochimaru and sat in his cage thinking about the offer that Zetsu had made him._

_Three months later, Orochimaru walked slowly around, increasingly frustrated. He said, "How on earth is Itachi able to hide so effectively? I should have been able to find him by now." Sasuke smirked and said, "Did you think it would be so easy on your own? Ever since Kabuto died, you've been cut off from his sources of information. Which, if I may say, were more reliable than your very own sources."_

_Orochimaru said in a tired voice, "You may be right. Not having access to that collection of information is a great loss." Sasuke smiled and stood in his cage. He said, "Alright, Orochimaru. You had your six months. You were unable to locate Itachi twice, let alone kill him. I'm taking back control. And just in case you start acting up, I'm going to seal you inside permanently." _

_Orochimaru tried to protest, but Sasuke's eyes glowed, and then he took control of his body. After Orochimaru was fully inside the cage, Sasuke went through a few hand signs, and the seal started to become opaque. Orochimaru said, "What are you doing?!"_

_Sasuke said, "I don't want to hear anything from you ever again. I'm sealing your thoughts, memories, and anything that might distract me, from my mind. I'll keep all your abilities, though; the healing is quite effective. Thank you, Orochimaru, and good bye."_

_Orochimaru screamed in pan as he felt his memories being shredded apart from him, and the cage started glowing white. He was engulfed in white flames and soon the cage itself turned white. Sasuke started walking towards the Land of Fire, thinking, 'Good riddance.'_

Sasuke reached the giant oak tree that Zetsu had mentioned and said to himself, "Alright, where to now?" Suddenly, Zetsu came up from the ground next to him and said, "Well, is it Orochimaru or Sasuke this time?" The teenager replied, "Sasuke. Where is the hideout?" Zetsu shook his head and said, "Are you willing to enter the Akatsuki?" Sasuke nodded and said, "Only if you help me find Itachi." Zetsu nodded and said, "Don't worry, we have spies the likes Orochimaru has never even seen of before."

Sasuke walked with Zetsu towards a mountain until they came up to a cave inside. It looked like a normal cave, and Sasuke frowned. Zetsu smiled at his confusion and placed a hand on the wall next to him. Suddenly, a grating sound occurred and a door started opening up in the cave. Zetsu said, "Get inside. Be quick, the door only remains open for a second."

Sasuke was across the door in a flash, and Zetsu emerged from the ground next to him. He said, "Very good, you're quite fast. I am impressed. Follow me." Sasuke followed the plant like shinobi until they reached another door, this time of metal. Zetsu opened the door and said, "Master Pein is expecting you." Sasuke went inside the room and Zetsu closed the door.

Pein's voice came out of the darkness, "Uchiha Sasuke. You took your sweet time getting here, I see." Sasuke retorted, "Well, it's not like I had a date with you or something." Pein walked out of the darkness, and Sasuke quickly observed the orange haired shinobi. He thought, 'What a striking similarity! This man looks just like a grown up Naruto!'

Pein cocked his head to the side, as though measuring up the young Uchiha. Sasuke looked back, trying to gauge the strength of the man in front of him. He said, "So, you're Pein, the possessor of the Rinnegan." Pein bowed slightly and said, "That is correct." Sasuke said, "What is your purpose in life? Why have you formed the Akatsuki?"

Pein said, "My purpose? Bringing peace to the world."

Sasuke snorted and said, "Yeah, right."

Pein surmised the boy. He thought, 'Hmm. This boy is strong, fast, and young. If I can manipulate him, he will work for me without a doubt. He seems to be a little arrogant, though. And curious about everything.' He said, "Well, Sasuke, are you ready to join the Akatsuki? If you do, you will be granted all the responsibilities and all the benefits that come with it." Sasuke said, "Well, it's not like I have a better option. So, why not?"

Pein smiled and said, "Hold out your right hand, then." Sasuke did, and Pein inserted a ring into his ring finger, saying, "You no longer exist in the world. Your sole purpose is serving the Akatsuki and reaping the rewards and benefits of completing your tasks. You are free to do whatever you please when you have no missions; however, you will have to come immediately when you are called."

Sasuke nodded and Pein smiled inwardly. He said, "Come with me, then. I shall introduce you to the rest of the ring members of the Akatsuki."

Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha, thinking of what to do. He had finished his morning exercises, and had no missions. He also couldn't spend time with Ino, because she was on a small errand of her own. Sakura was busy at the hospital, and Kakashi was off on a mission in the capital town. Naruto thought, 'Geez, today is so boring. What should I do?'

Just then he remembered the scrolls which Sakura had talked to him about and thought, 'I should go and check it out. I can certainly use some scrolls for my FuinJutsu which are thicker and of a better quality than the ones which I currently use." He took off at a speed that would have impressed Gai.

As he reached the south west part of the village, Naruto suddenly got a feeling as though he was being followed. He sighed and thought, 'Not this shit again.' He turned around in a whirl and spotted a purple color scampering out of sight. He jumped into the air, and spotted Hinata standing behind a tall wood fence, trying to hide out of sight. He landed next to her and she turned around, startled at the noise.

Hinata squealed as she saw Naruto in front of her and couldn't think of anything else but fainting. But Naruto was well aware of that by now and he had already brought his hand right in front of her eyes, holding out two fingers, as though to poke her eyes out. Hinata closed her eyes shut, all thoughts of fainting leaving her head.

Naruto shook her gently and she opened her eyes. Naruto said firmly, "Hinata, I don't know what it is with you, but I want to know why you keep following me around everywhere. Tell me, right now." Hinata balked at the determined expression on his face. She began tapping her fingers, but Naruto immediately held her hands apart. Hinata blushed furiously at the close proximity, and even Naruto realized what he had just done, and quickly let go of her hands. He said, "Well?"

Hinata blushed and said, "Well, I…um…I kind of wanted…to tell you…something…" But Naruto was not patient enough and said, "Tell me what? I don't have all day to listen, ya know." Hinata looked ready to cry, and Naruto suddenly felt bad about what he said, so he amended it, "Look, Hinata, why don't you tell me what you want from me? I have to get someplace, so I can't stand here all day, while you don't even tell me what it is you want."

Hinata, now on the verge of tears, couldn't take the sheer pressure that Naruto was putting on her, and fainted, before the blonde could do anything else. He sighed heavily, and picked her up in a bridal style. He took her to a nearby training ground and put her down under the shade of a tree. He thought, 'This girl is really getting on my nerves now.' He took off.

Naruto reached the store which Sakura had informed him about, and took a look around. He bought a few scrolls and stored them in another scroll. He walked out of the shop and then sensed someone following him again. Now Naruto was really mad and roared, "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"

A hundred clones of Naruto erupted around him and caught hold of the figure that was following him. Naruto was ready to punch the person until he saw who it was. Konohamaru looked back at him in surprise and even a little fright. Naruto dispelled his clones and said, "What the heck are you doing, Ko?"

Konohamaru dusted himself of the dust that had engulfed him after so many shadow clones had formed around him. He said, "I saw you walking so I decided to try and shadow you, see how well I can do. Obviously, I'm no better than I was before I made Genin."

Naruto said, "No, that's not it. I was just followed by another person a few minutes ago, so I was on full alert." Ko was interested and said, "Who was following you?" Naruto replied, "A girl from my batch, Hinata." Ko gaped at him. He said, "Hinata Hyuga? The heir to the Hyuga clan?" Naruto nodded and said, "She's really getting on my nerves. She always follows me around, and whenever I catch her, she faints."

Konohamaru scratched his head in confusion and said, "I wonder why she does that." Naruto shrugged and said, "So, what have you been up to these days, Ko? I haven't heard from you since you became a Chunin." Konohamaru said, "Lady Tsunade sent me on individual missions for a while. To rack up my experience, I'm told. Now, I have an escort mission with my team soon." Naruto nodded and said, "Aren't you going to prepare for it?"

Konohamaru shrugged and said, "Already done. I'm just roaming around coz I have nothing better to do." Naruto said, "I have an idea. How about having a spar?" Konohamaru said, "No, thanks. I don't want my ass handed to me on a fine day like this."

Naruto laughed and said, "Come on, Ko. It's not like I'll beat you up or anything like that. It'll just be a friendly match between two Chunin of the village." Konohamaru thought about it for a few seconds and then agreed. He said, "Alright, Naruto. Let's have a match."

Naruto said, "There's a difference between a fight and a spar, though. A spar is simply a hand to hand fight, no jutsus of any sort." He smiled as he remembered Jiraiya saying the same thing to him.

Konohamaru said, "I know that, duh. It's one of the first things they teach at the academy." Naruto was surprised and said, "Really? I guess I didn't pay attention." Konohamaru said, "Big surprise." Naruto said, "For that, you're going to get the drubbing of your life."

The two of them sparred for a couple of hours in a training field in the southern part of the village. It was quite desolated, so they could make as much noise as they wanted. After a while, Konohamaru was winded and Naruto stopped. He said, "Very good, Ko. You've progressed quite a lot since the last time we fought." Konohamaru said, "Thanks, bro. Hey, let me show you something." Naruto said, "What?"

Konohamaru brought his hand out in front of him and a cloud of chakra began forming over it. Naruto watched in surprise, as the cloud began to coalesce and formed a bright blue orb. Konohamaru held it up and said, "Rasengan." Naruto clapped and said, "You managed to do it in one hand too! Amazing, Ko!"

Konohamaru smiled and let the sphere loose. It disappeared and Naruto clapped Konohamaru on the back. The younger Chunin looked at his watch and said, "Oh no! I'm late! We were supposed to have team dinner today! Sorry, Naruto but I gotta run." Naruto held up his hand and waved Konohamaru goodbye. He waited for the kid to exit his line of sight, before exhaling deeply and holding his stomach. He thought, 'Ko's sure gotten strong. He got in quite a few hits today.' Suddenly, a figure appeared behind him and he turned around to look straight into two red eyes.

"Tsukuyomi."

Naruto opened his eyes. He looked around, thinking, 'Where am I?' He suddenly sensed that he wasn't standing on anything. Rather, he was floating in the air, as though he was in space. The world around him was empty, and was simply light orange in color. He thought, 'I remember hearing someone saying Tsukuyomi. What happened to me?'

"Hello, Uzumaki Naruto. We finally meet again."

Naruto turned around so fast that he almost cricked his neck. He focused his gaze and saw Itachi standing behind him. A look of dark rage crossed Naruto's face and his eyes almost instantaneously turned red.

"**YOU!**"

Itachi stared at him calmly and said, "Me." Naruto tried to charge at him but found that he couldn't move his body. Itachi said, "Naruto, you're under my Tsukuyomi. You can't move. And I see that your ability to break GenJutsus is almost as abysmal as ever. Be that as it may, no one can break the Tsukuyomi. So if you really want to be free, then just remain calm. The fox chakra is taking over you as it is."

Naruto looked down at his body and suddenly realized that the fox's chakra cloak had enveloped him. He looked into his psyche and managed to control himself, relieving himself of the fox's chakra. He looked back at Itachi and said, "What the heck do you want? And how did you even manage to get into the village?"

Itachi smiled and said, "This is my own village, you know. I have probably forgotten more about it than you will ever know." Naruto said, "You still haven't answered my first question. What is it that you want from me? Are you here to capture me for the Akatsuki?"

Itachi shook his head and said, "No, Naruto. Things have been happening lately. A lot of things. I cannot tell you right now, but I will when the time arrives. Until then, I just wanted a favor. Remember the time when I ran into you during your training trip with Jiraiya and I put you under the Tsukuyomi then?"

Naruto nodded, still unsure of what was going on. He said, "What about it?"

Itachi replied, "I gave something to you back then. Unfortunately, I find that I need it right now, rather than it being used for the reason that I gave it to you." Naruto was totally lost and said, "What the heck are you taking about?" Itachi replied, "I intend to take back what I gave you, nothing more, and nothing less. I am not here to fight you, nor do I intend to."

Naruto said, "Well, if you gave something to me, wouldn't I know about it?" Itachi smiled and said, "You're so naïve, Naruto. I wouldn't give you something that you could see. I implanted something in you that you have no idea about." Naruto said, "What is that?"

Itachi retorted, "Shisui Uchiha's left eye."

Naruto froze. The Nine Tails had been hearing this conversation all along and said, "**I see.** **This is why I was able to see Shisui's memories when Danzo tried to use the Kotoamatsukami against you, Naruto.**" Naruto went back into his psyche and said, "So, is this somehow related with that old geezer?"

The fox literally face palmed and said, "**You idiot. Don't you even remember what I told you about the Kotoamatsukami? You really are an idiot.**" Naruto scratched the side of his head and said, "Nope, I can't remember. Ohh wait, is this that thing you were telling me about when Danzo tried to force me to take a Blood Oath?"

The fox nodded in irritation and Naruto said, "Alright, thanks for the info. Now, let's see what Itachi wants." He turned back to the outside world where Itachi was waiting and said, "Why did you put me under the Tsukuyomi if you didn't want to fight me?"

Itachi stated, "Because it is the only way in which I can retrieve Shisui's eye from you." Naruto said, "Why did you give it to me in the first place?" Itachi frowned slightly and said, "I had placed a jutsu on it, which would awaken the eye when you faced Sasuke and he tried to use his Sharingan on you. I believed that you were the only one who would go to any lengths to bring him back, so I entrusted you with the eye."

Naruto said, "I still want to bring him back, and I will never stop trying." Itachi shook his head and said, "That doesn't matter now. The situation has changed. I am in no position to tell you, but I need Shisui's eye now. You will find out why some day. But till then, I cannot tell you."

Naruto said, "And how do you intend to take the eye from me?" Itachi simply raised his finger and pointed it at Naruto. Suddenly, a weird feeling made Naruto want to hurl. He tried to suppress it but it overcame him and he vomited out a black crow. He fell onto the ground, or whatever passed for it in the Tsukuyomi. He coughed and coughed, until his breathing stabilized, and then looked up at the crow, saying, "Wait a minute. This was the crow you put into me that day!"

Itachi said, "Yes, indeed it was. It contains the eye within it. It is not a real crow, of course, but the jutsu which allowed it to track if you ever crossed paths with Sasuke and he tried to use any of his Sharingan related abilities on you."

Naruto suddenly felt the atmosphere changing and he found himself standing in the same training ground where he had fought Konohamaru. He saw Itachi standing in front of him and said, "Why should I not try to capture you right now? After all, you are an S-Rank criminal, and a traitor to the village." Itachi smiled and said, "If you really wish to fight, go ahead. I already told you, though, I am not here to fight."

The blonde teenager said, "Why did you slaughter the Uchiha clan? Why did you turn Sasuke this way? You are the reason he has no family, no friends, no one to support him right now." Itachi froze; he hadn't expected to hear these words coming from someone other than Sasuke himself. He somehow managed to retain his calm appearance and said, "What I did was for the sake of this village. You will find out everything one day, Naruto Uzumaki, when the time is right. Until then, you must continue fighting to achieve your dreams. And continue trying to bring Sasuke back, please."

Naruto opened his mouth, but Itachi suddenly broke apart into pieces, which turned into crows, and Naruto watched them fly away. He thought, 'What would Itachi want with Shisui's eye?' The fox said, "**Didn't you notice? Oh wait, of course you wouldn't.**" Naruto said, "Notice what?"

The Nine Tails said, "**Itachi's eyes. They were not as black as they were the last time he spoke to us. They were more like a light grey in color. I think he's going blind and he wants to transplant his eyes.**" Naruto said, "You think? How could an Uchiha go blind?"

The fox said, "**Beats me. Now go away.**" He went back to sleep and Naruto began walking home, thinking about what Itachi had said. He suddenly realized, "If he wants to transplant the eyes, then he's going to go after the other one as well! I must warn Grandma Tsunade!"

The boy raced towards the Ninja Ops building, where he saw Tsunade standing in her office, staring out her window, deep in thought. He shunshined in and she turned around, startled at the sudden appearance. She said, "What is the meaning of this, Naruto?"

He said, "I met Itachi Uchiha right now. He put me under the Tsukuyomi and took Shisui Uchiha's left eye from me. He claimed that he had put it in my body during my training trip with Pervy Sage. I knew you had the other eye so I came to warn you."

Tsunade smiled inwardly at the display of affection and said, "No need to worry, Naruto. I don't have the eye anymore. I gave it to Jiraiya for safe keeping. And you know how he is, always travelling around. So, take it easy." Naruto nodded and said, "Now, since I'm here, do you have any missions for me? I haven't gone on any since that last one with the Golden Wind Cutter. I'm getting bored with nothing to do."

Tsunade said, "No, there's no missions for you right now. However, didn't I tell you to take some GenJutsu classes from Shizune? You need to work on becoming a Jonin if you ever want to achieve you dream of being Hokage, don't you?"

Naruto slapped his forehead and said, "I totally forgot about that! Thanks a lot, Grandma! I'll go talk to her right away!" Tsunade said, "Whoa, hold on, there. It is late now, and Shizune must have already gone home if she's not in the hospital. So, run along home, and talk to her later."

Naruto nodded and said, "Will do, Grandma. See you later!" He took off, and Tsunade thought, 'Always so impatient.'


	36. Chapter 36: Coming of Age

**Author's Note: **Hey, what's up guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you today. First of all, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope you guys have a wonderful year starting from today itself, and wish you all the luck in the world. Speaking of wonderful, my story has reached 500 pages in length! I am really astonished myself, as I never expected that I would be able to write this much. I hope that you guys continue enjoying my story, and I shall keep posting for as long as I can. So, with that being said, hope you guys enjoy today's chapter, and of course, Happy Reading!

**Chapter 36: Coming of Age**

Naruto woke up and blinked. He looked at the wall clock and thought, 'What the heck! I'd set the alarm for 6! How'd I oversleep by two hours?!' He checked the alarm clock and found that it had been turned off. He thought, 'Ino's up to something, I'm sure.' The boy got up and was about to stand up, when Ino came in with a tray full of food.

She said, "Good morning, Ruto-kun." He smiled at the new nickname she had given him and said, "Good morning, Ino-chan." She said, "I came up with something special for today." Naruto said, "Why? What's today?"

Ino stared at him for a full minute. Naruto started getting nervous and said, "Ino?" Ino kept the tray on the bed and said, "Naruto, honestly, how bad is your memory? It's your frigging birthday today, dammit!" Naruto said, "Oh yeah! I totally forgot about it!" Ino shook her head in disappointment and then said, "I made breakfast in bed for you today. Have a look."

Naruto opened the tray and saw all kinds of stuff on the tray, which he loved. There were pastries, funny shaped breads, sandwiches and best of all…

"RAMEN!"

Ino smiled at his enthusiasm as he dove right into the first ramen bowl with gusto. She thought, 'Can't make it much better than this for him.'

She began to eat a pastry too, and Naruto said, "Aren't you worried about getting fat?" Ino smirked and said, "Well, I thought about doing some **exercise** after breakfast, so that the calories would burn immediately." Naruto grinned and said, "I have absolutely no problem with that, Ino-chan." He leant in and licked a bit of sugar icing off her lower lip.

Ino kissed him, and he leant in too, until his stomach gave a loud roar, and he grumbled, "Stupid stomach. I guess we have to continue this session after breakfast." Ino giggled and said, "Sure."

After a morning full of fun, Ino said, "Come on, Naruto. It's cold out today, I was thinking of going to the hot springs and relaxing." Naruto agreed and the two of them headed out. They reached the hot springs and Naruto was surprised to find that they were the only ones in there. He looked at Ino questioningly and she said, "I booked it for the two of us." Naruto said, "Wow! That's amazing! We can totally have a wonderful time here!" Ino said, "More wonderful than back at home?"

He grinned and said, "Well, maybe we can **improvise** here." Ino nodded and they entered the hot springs.

Tsunade was frustrated. She said, "Did you find him yet?"

Kakashi replied on the phone, "Not yet, Milady. He isn't at any of his usual haunts, nor his house. Ino isn't there either, for that matter." Tsunade said, "Dammit, I should have known better than to leave him alone at a time like this. I should have kept the ANBU watching him."

Shikamaru said, "You can hardly expect that the ANBU would have been able to keep him in their sights. He used to escape them when he was 10, what do you expect now?" Tsunade sighed and said, "This is a disaster. Where could the two of them be?" Shikamaru said, "I told you to tell Ino, she could have kept this a secret. You know how resourceful and determined she can be if the need arises."

Tsunade said, "I don't care what happens. Find them in one hour, or else…" Shikamaru balked and ran out of the room. Kakashi said, "I'll ask Gai to help me out." He cut the call and rushed to Gai's house.

Tsunade thought, 'This can't be happening. I told everyone to make sure that Naruto wouldn't disappear today of all days. Where on earth could he be?'

Naruto and Ino sat on top the Fourth's head, sighing contentedly. Ino put her head on Naruto's shoulder and he said, "This is my best birthday ever." Ino said, "It's about to get better. It's present time!" Naruto said, "You got me a present?" Ino bonked him on the head and said, "How can you even assume that I wouldn't get you a present?!" He said, "You're right, Ino-chan. Sorry."

Ino took a scroll out of her pocket and gave it to him. She said, "It's a FuinJutsu scroll. Activate it, and you'll see your present." He unwrapped the scroll in excitement and put his hand on the seal. He let his chakra flow into the scroll and three things came out of them.

"WOW!"

The first and foremost thing was a black leather scabbard. It was weird, though, it wasn't like a scabbard for a sword. Instead of a slot for a sword, it had a perfect round hole in it. He guessed correctly and asked, "For Kitsune?" Ino nodded and said, "You always have to summon your staff blade for fighting. I figured it would be better if you carry it with you. Although you have enormous amounts of chakra, this will help in a pinch. It will also give you a nice personality, as people get intimidated by seeing people with weapons. And the scabbard is chakra bonded, so it will hide the chakra signature of Kitsune. It won't be detected by any jutsu or Kekkei Genkai."

Naruto grinned and said, "Thanks a lot, Ino." He looked at the scabbard closely, and found the Konoha leaf etched into the leather. There was also a swirl of the Uzumaki symbol next to it. Naruto summoned Kitsune and slid it into the hole. It fit perfectly, without a single hitch. The scabbard had a lining made of gold, which clashed magnificently with Kitsune.

Ino said, "Keep going." Naruto slung the scabbard over his shoulder and looked at the second gift. It was further wrapped in a parcel, which he unwrapped carefully. He found a decorative wooden box inside it, and looked at Ino, confused. She urged him on and he opened the book. Delight and joy filled his eyes as he saw five kunai in them. He picked them up and said, "Stealth blades!"

Ino smiled. She said, "You always tell me how you wish you could be better at stealth, so I got you these blades." Naruto said, "But how, Ino? You told me about your plan for my birthday only three days ago!" Ino nodded and said, "I got these from Iguromo. He had a set stashed aside for a rainy day. He never forgets who helped him set up his shop when he was hurt and couldn't walk. I heard a lot about you from him. Seems that he was the only person in the village who sold you kunai and shurikens."

Naruto nodded and said, "Iguromo was always kind to me. He never displayed the hate that the rest of the villagers showed me, although that may be because he isn't originally form this village." Ino said, "Anyway, when I asked him about them, he gave me the kunai immediately." Naruto said, "These are wonderful, Ino."

He looked at the blades, and felt their balance. They were perfectly crafted, smaller and more concealed than the regular kunai. They were painted matte black, rather than regular kunai which are shiny. The blades were made of a rare ceramic, which is harder than steel and doesn't break easily. These type of blades were rare, and Iguromo only made three to four sets every year.

Ino said, "Iguromo told me that these blades will not be detected by anything other than the person who you stab them with." Naruto laughed and hugged her. She said, "Now, for the final present." He kept the kunai back in the box and kept it to the side. He opened the third parcel. It was a slim box, and he wondered what could be in there.

He opened the box and found a gold pendant inside. It was a heart shaped pendant, and he opened it to find a picture of him and Ino inside. It was a picture of Naruto looking affectionately at Ino, whose head was on his shoulder. He said, "When did you get this photo?"

Ino replied, "Konohamaru took this photo of us when we were going home from a restaurant once. He was going to use it to blackmail us. But after your promotion, when we kissed in front of everyone, he realized that it wasn't going to work, so he gave it to me."

Naruto grinned and said, "He sure is a good photographer, I'll tell you that." Ino smiled and nodded.

Naruto said, "Ino, this is too much." Ino shook her head and said, "No, it's not. And if you really feel that way, my birthday isn't too far off." Naruto grinned and leant in to kiss her, saying, "I'm not sure I can do justice to what you've given me." She said, "I'm sure you'll do fine."

Just then, a cloud of smoke burst in front of them and Kakashi emerged from it, panting. He said, "Finally, fuck! Where the hell have you been, Naruto! Come on quick, we have an X-Rank situation!" Naruto and Ino gaped at him and Naruto got up in a hurry. Ino followed suit. The three of them jumped down onto the Ninja Ops building and Naruto started to head into it, but Kakashi said, "No, Lady Tsunade isn't here."

Naruto was surprised and said, "Then where is she?" Kakashi retorted shortly, "She's at the Chunin Exam Stadium, preparing for the next Chunin exams. She asked me to make you come there directly so that she can keep working." Naruto nodded, but Ino looked a little suspicious.

The three of them ran at top speed, and Kakashi was a little surprised that Ino was being able to keep up with them. He already knew that Naruto was much faster than him, but he hadn't expected Ino to be so fast as well. Nevertheless, he didn't say anything but focused on getting to the destination as soon as possible.

As they reached closer to the stadium, Kakashi said, "Oh yeah! I should let her know I've found you. She's got many others looking for you." He dialed Tsunade up and said, "Milady? I've found him and Ino. Yes, we're heading there right now. Call off the others." He cut the call and Ino got even more suspicious, but decided not to say anything.

As the trio entered the stadium, they noticed that it was pitch black. Naruto said, "Why aren't there any lights?" Kakashi shrugged and then remembered that they couldn't see, so he said, "I don't know, Naruto, maybe there's been a power outage or something." Ino secretly activated her Mind Sensory Relay and almost gasped in astonishment, but managed to smother her reaction.

Kakashi said, "Milady? Naruto's here."

All of a sudden, a loud voice echoed through the stadium, "RELEASE!"

The entire stadium was flooded with light and a huge crowd looked happily at Naruto, shouting at the top of their voice, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NARUTO!"

Naruto stared at the crowd of people, totally dumbfounded. He looked at Ino and she shook her head and shrugged. The boy was so shocked at the sheer presence of everyone that he was rendered speechless. Lady Tsunade steered him into the crowd and he was overwhelmed with handshakes, back slaps, and friendly shoves.

After a few hours of non-stop partying, Kakashi and Iruka stood on the podium which had been erected, and Kakashi took the mic. He said, "Can I have your attention, please?" Everyone turned around to the podium and he said, "I would like to have Naruto up here with me, if it's possible."

Naruto was practically lifted and carried to the platform, and finally stood there. Iruka walked towards the boy with a large bottle. Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "For our guests who might not be aware of this ritual, an explanation may be in order."

His eyes strayed casually to the Three Sand Siblings, who had graced everyone with their presence, but then also looked at Shin Busata, Sasame and Naruto's other acquaintances from different countries. He continued, "In the Land of Fire, a father presents his son with a bottle of alcohol on his sixteenth birthday, i.e. his majority. However, as the legal age for drinking in the country is eighteen, the boy cannot drink it. Instead, this gift, this bottle of alcohol, represents a strong bond of trust, from the father, to his son, stating wordlessly, that the boy is now an adult, and is responsible for his actions, therefore he will know not to open the bottle until he is ready to drink it. Also, once the boy turns eighteen, he and his father drink from the same bottle together."

A shinobi from the crowd shouted, "After the booze has had two years to age!" That set off an appeal of laughter from the crowd. The Copy ninja nodded and said, "True enough."

Iruka took the mic and said, "However, unfortunately, Naruto's father is not among us, therefore we hoped that he might let his irritating, nose-poking uncles might be allowed to fill in." Everyone laughed again, and looked at Naruto.

Naruto simply walked up to the two of them and enveloped them with a hug, strong enough to break a person's bones. However, the two _uncles_ bore this hug without showing pain, knowing the strong feelings behind it. Naruto said, "Thanks a lot, you two. I don't know what I would have done with you."

He accepted the bottle from them, and Iruka said, "Now remember, you can't open it until you're eighteen." Naruto nodded, the corners of his eyes becoming moist. He said again, "Thank you."

Ino walked up to the Fifth Hokage, and caught Temari speaking to Tenten. Temari said, "What about Narumi? Wasn't she invited?" Tenten shook her head and said, "Her father didn't allow it. He told her that if she wanted to attend school like a normal person, she couldn't skip it for a person's birthday, either. So, she couldn't make it. She'll be here for the Chunin exams though."

Ino finally caught up to the Sannin, who was trying to avoid her throughout the party. As Ino walked up to her, she sighed and spoke without preamble, "I'm sorry, Ino. But I wasn't sure that you wouldn't let anything slip." Ino nodded and said, "I couldn't have done this on my own, anyway. You even got the Kazekage to come."

Tsunade nodded and said, "I didn't do it alone either. I had a lot of help from Kakashi, Shikamaru and even Jiraiya." Ino said, "I must give them my thanks."

Naruto slid away from Kiba and Choji, who were discussing whether to take the Jonin Trials, towards Ino's dad. He said, "Hey, old man, I wanted to ask you a favor." Inoichi smiled at him and said, "What can I do for you, Naruto?" The boy replied, "I wanted to help in Ino's birthday party preparation."

Inoichi said imperiously, "I am sorry, Naruto, but that's impossible." Naruto was surprised and said, "Why not?" Inoichi laughed lightly and said, "Because in our clan, we prepare for our children's majority two months in advance, and we have already finished preparing for Ino's birthday." Naruto looked crestfallen at that, but Inoichi said, "However, if you feel like it, you can help deliver the invitations around the village. Ino's mother is going to be handing them out, and you can use it as a chance to bond with her too." Naruto looked at him delightfully, and the older blonde nodded. Naruto hugged him quickly and said, "Thanks a lot, old man."

Inoichi smiled at the familiar form of address. He patter the teen on the shoulder and said, "Not a problem. Now, I mustn't keep you all to myself. Your friends want to speak to you. Happy birthday again, Naruto, and best of luck for the future." Naruto nodded and said, "Thanks."

The clock struck midnight, but the party didn't end. As the hours dragged on, some of the guests began to beg off, claiming work or missions. Ayame and Teuchi exited, as did Konohamaru's team, dragged by Moegi. In the end, Naruto, Ino, Kakashi, Iruka, Tsunade, Shizune, Anko, the Konoha 11, and the Sand Siblings, were all that remained. As the party had straggled onwards, Tsunade had begun to become restless.

Anko said, "So, Naruto, are you planning to buy your own house any time soon? Get settled, you know." Tsunade jumped a little. She reached into her pocket, almost expecting the cold metal touching her fingers to burn her. The knucklehead replied, "Dunno really. Ino's got a nice place, and houses ain't exactly cheap. But I guess I'll move out into a bigger house eventually."

The master medic said quietly, so quiet that she half expected him not to hear, "You have another option." The entire group turned towards her in surprise, and she guessed she had no choice left.

Naruto said curiously, "What do you mean, Grandma?"

Tsunade sighed, and extracted her hand from her pocket, a key held in her fingers. She said in a heavy voice, "Kushina Uzumaki owned a house. More precisely, a bungalow. It has been maintained by the Hokage's office since her death. However, as of now, since you're an adult, it is legally yours."

Naruto stood there, blank. He finally summoned up the strength to say, "My mom had a bungalow? Did you guys know about this?" He looked around at the others.

All his friends shook their heads, as did his girlfriend, Iruka and Anko. But Kakashi nodded, and the Sand siblings remained neutral. Naruto rounded up on Tsunade and Kakashi, saying, "Why am I finding about this today?" Kakashi explained, "You didn't own it legally until today, Naruto."

"SO?"

Tsunade put her hand on his shoulder, saying, "I know it must be hard on you, but do you honestly think that you could have resisted the temptation? It would have started by a look around, until you started sleeping there at nights, and eventually, you would have all but moved in."

Naruto looked at the ground, unable to refute her arguments. She continued, "Also, it is within the Hokage's rights to sell the property to cover any expenses you might have cost the village." Naruto looked up again angrily and said, "You were gonna sell my mother's house?"

Ino caught hold of his hand, and he calmed down slightly, almost subconsciously. Tsunade said indignantly, "I would never do such a thing. And god forbid you've given Sarutobi sensei enough reason to do so. I merely stated a fact."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. Tsunade held out the key, but he didn't take it. The Hokage said, "What's wrong, take it." Naruto's hand raised up, but he hesitated. Ino said, "Naruto, I think you should at least see it once." Tsunade nodded and Kakashi said, "I think Kushina-san would have at least wanted you to see it once. If you don't like it, you can sell it. She would be okay with that."

Naruto nodded and grasped the key.

He looked at the group and said in a small voice, "Will you all accompany me tomorrow? Or later today, judging by the time." Ino squeezed his hand and smiled, "Of course." Everyone else nodded as well. Iruka glanced at Anko, who shrugged and nodded. He said, "We'd love to."

Naruto looked at Gaara, so he didn't notice Anko mouthing 'We?' at Iruka, but Ino's sharp eyes caught on and she smirked evilly. The Kazekage looked a little flustered at his inclusion, but said, "I would be honored, Naruto." Tsunade said, "Alright then, let's all get some rest, we need to be wide awake tomorrow to see Naruto's house." Everyone nodded. After deciding to meet at ten in the morning, everyone began to leave. Tsunade and Shizune left with the Kazekage, apparently talking about some new strategy for the alliance of the villages. All the Konoha 11 left, talking to each other. Kakashi and Iruka hugged Naruto once again, and bid him goodbye, before leaving.

Ino and Naruto walked home, Ino almost supporting Naruto. He was exhausted, physically and emotionally. She helped him seal his gifts in a scroll, and the two of them reached his place at a snail's pace.

When they reached home, Naruto sighed heavily and sat down, slumped on the sofa. Ino began to unseal the scroll; having stayed a long time with Naruto, she had learnt a few things from him. She took his gifts out and he unwrapped them. Most of the people had given him a small amount of money and a kunai, customary gifts for a person's majority. Iruka had given him a mission backpack, which was much lighter than the one he used normally, and bigger as well. Ino marveled at the quality.

Kakashi had gifted Naruto a book on FuinJutsu, which he really appreciated. He said, "This will really help me along." Ino nodded. Tsunade, apart from the key, had given him a set of medical vials, which contained various fluids, ranging from chakra restoratives, to pain killers. Ino said, "Ingenious. Fluids are much easier to absorb than chakra pills, this will really help you in a fight. I had no idea that Lady Tsunade was working on something like this."

Shizune had given him a set of poison vials, with detailed instructions on how to use them. Gaara had gifted Naruto three sand made figurines, one which showcased Naruto head-butting Gaara atop Shukaku; another of Naruto, with his hand on Gaara's shoulder; and the last one of the two of them shaking hands. Naruto let the memories flow into him, remembering the time when they rescued Gaara from death itself. He made his mind to encase these figurines in glass and keep it with him forever.

Ino said, "Alright, Naruto. If you want to be punctual tomorrow, we better get some shut eye." Naruto nodded and the two of them went to the bedroom they now shared. They got into the bed, fully dressed, and Ino put off the lights, saying, "Good night, Ruto-kun. And happy birthday." She kissed him on the cheek and then they went to sleep.

Naruto was in his usual good mood the next morning, when the group assembled at Ninja Ops. He was amazed to see Tsunade, Shizune and Gaara wearing jeans, something he had never seen before in his life. Anko and Iruka arrived last, even after Kakashi, who was punctual for once. Ino smiled sweetly at Iruka and he thought, 'Uh oh. Trouble.'

The Hokage lead the way, and they walked a few blocks, before coming up to a house, surrounded by a modest sized verandah. Everyone gaped and Sakura said, "Is that Kushina-san's house?" The Hokage nodded and said, "More precisely, it was Naruto's father's house, but was on his mother's name. However, since I can't state his father's name right now, it is but obvious that I must use Kushina's name instead."

They looked at Naruto, who was staring in awe at the size of the property. He said, "Are you sure this is my mother's house?" Tsunade nodded gently. The troop walked up the few stairs, up to the door, before Tsunade spun around and stood before Naruto, blocking it. She said, "Naruto, before we go in, I want to warn you about something. Sarutobi sensei removed any reference to your father from here, and I gave it a once over when I became the Fifth Hokage. So, if you're expecting to find any…"

Naruto was exasperated and cut in, "I know, dammit. I don't get to know who my dad is until the right time. Geez, it's starting to sound like some weird prophecy or something." Tsunade nodded, happy that he understood, and said, "Well, you have the key, so…"

She stepped aside, and Naruto walked up to the door, and slid the key into the lock. The door swung inwards, and a huge cloud of dust billowed out. Naruto jumped back, coughing, and sputtered, "What the heck? It's such a mess. This will take forever to get rid of."

Gaara smiled and moved forward. He placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. The blonde looked at him and he said, "Allow me." Naruto stepped aside, and Gaara stood in his place. He raised his hands in front of him and pulled them inwards. The dirt in the house began to flow towards him. After a half minute or so, the entire house was cleaned out, and a small dense sandstone was on the ground in front of Gaara's feet. He picked it up and put it into his pocket.

Naruto clapped him on the back and said, "Wow, man. If the Kazekage thing doesn't work out, you can make a load of cash as a maid service." The others stared at Naruto as though he were mad, but Gaara chuckled and said, "I'll keep that in mind, Naruto."

Naruto walked into the apartment, and looked around in awe at the spacious interiors. The living room was on the west side of the door, and had two doors further towards the west, presumable leading to the bedrooms. The kitchen was to the north of the living room, and opened out to the living room without a door. There was another door between the bedrooms and the kitchen, most probably for the bathroom.

Naruto stepped further in and the others came in behind him. Shizune said, "Kushina sure did have a big house." Everyone agreed, and looked around. The living room was plush and had a sofa almost twice as large as Naruto and Ino's current one. It also had two love seats on the side, with a coffee table in front of the large sofa. There was also a media center in the southern part of the living room, which also had two large windows built in on either sides of it. Anko went over and pulled the curtains open, allowing sunlight to stream in and bathe the house in warmth. Everything was covered in white tarps, though.

Anko whistled and said, "You can see the Ninja Ops and the stone faces from here. What an amazing sight!" Everyone nodded. There was a half wall between the main door and living room, where a cupboard and a book shelf had been installed.

Kakashi walked over to the sofa and pulled off the tarp covering it. Ino and Hinata walked over and began to uncover the rest, folding the tarps as they did. The sofas, once uncovered, caught everyone's sight. They were of the same material and were simple, yet of plush construction, the type that never went out of fashion. Anko pressed into the cushion of the larger sofa, and it bounced back into place as soon as she removed it. Anko nodded approvingly and said, "Kushina had good taste." Gaara nodded in agreement.

Tsunade walked over to the kitchen and requested Shizune's help. The two medics uncovered the dining table, which had six chairs. Naruto nodded approvingly and said, "It's nice and elegant." The coffee table was also made of the same material, and they both looked timeless, and clean.

Kakashi had meanwhile walked over to the book shelf, and removed the cover off of it. Naruto walked over, and perused the shelf. Something caught his eye and he opened the book shelf, taking out a book from within. Everyone's gaze turned around to face him and he said, "Founding of the Land of Fire, by Soun Uzumaki?"

Tsunade said, "Soun Uzumaki, your grandfather, was a great writer in his time. He has written many amazing books and biographies, ranging from Academy level, to professional levels." Naruto's normal expression cracked, and the emotional strain began to show through it again. He said in a broken voice, "So, my grandfather was a writer. I wonder what else I don't know about my family."

Tsunade did something that no one would have anticipated. She went forward and hugged Naruto. He froze, not expecting something like this. Tsunade broke off and said, "Naruto, I know this is hard for you. But you had to see it sometime or the other." Naruto nodded and kept the book back in place. He said, "Which room should I see first?" Tsunade pointed at the left bedroom, and said, "That one. That's the master bedroom, and has another bathroom in it."

Naruto struggled, and looked around at all the sympathetic faces around him. But as he looked at Gaara, he found a look of curiosity and disappointment within it. He realized that Gaara would never give up a chance to learn more about his past. Naruto took a deep breath and said, "Alright, let's go." Ino caught his hand and guided him to the master bedroom. After a moment's hesitation, Naruto swung the door inwards.

Inside the door, was a suite sized bedroom. A large master bed occupied most of the space, and there was a bathroom at the left end of the room. The right end was aligned with doors, which he opened to find a closet in the wall. The bathroom at the left was much larger than Naruto's current one. It had a shower stall as big as his tub, and a tub that could easily accommodate two people. There was a nightstand on either side of the bed, and a digital alarm on the right side. There were two framed photos on the left. The first photo was of his mother with two people he did not recognize. Tsunade picked up the photo and said, "These were your grandparents."

Naruto picked up the other photo, which was of his mother standing with a large group of people, mostly taller than her. He said, "What about this one? That looks like the Academy in the background." Ino came over and said, "That's Dad right there, with the original Shika and Cho. And if I'm not wrong, that is Hiashi Hyuga…" Hinata saw the photo and shook her head, saying shyly, "That…that is Neji's father. My father…graduated…a year later than him. Hizashi-san always used to…to cover his forehead."

Naruto commented, "My mother is so much shorter than them. I guess that's where I got my late bloomer's genes." Tsunade shook her head gently and said, "No, that's because she graduated two years before the rest of them."

Naruto goggled at Tsunade and said, "My mother graduated at ten?" Tsunade replied, "She could have graduated at eight, with natural skills like hers. But she wanted to take more classes to improve her knowledge."

Naruto shook his head and kept the photo back into place. His attention drifted down to the dresser between the bed and the closet. He opened the first drawer, but it was empty, as were the rest in that column. The second column proved slightly more interesting.

The top drawer housed a number of plain-colored t-shirts and tank tops. The next drawer down held the same type of tops, but with floral or geometric patterns. The bottom compartment was also shirts, but these had characters or sayings on them. The top part of the last set of drawers held a number of carefully wrapped belts and hair accessories.

He opened the next drawer, but quickly closed it when he saw its contents. The last drawer also contained underwear, and he closed it just as fast. When he turned away, both Sakura and Tsunade chuckled at his red face. Ino managed to contain her mirth, and Hinata was blushing just as red as Naruto.

Ignoring them, the blonde stalked over to the closet. He flung open the doors recklessly, sending a ripple through the clothes. He ignored the apparel, instead looking on the upper shelf for any treasures. But all he found was blankets and a sewing kit. Masking his disappointment, he ruffled absently through the dresses, skirts, blouses, and pants.

Anko commented, "You know, even sixteen years old, this stuff is pretty awesome." By now, everyone but Iruka, and Kakashi, had entered the room. Naruto didn't acknowledge the statement, because he had reached the end of the closet, and found two matte black stealth shozokus.

He took the shozokus and kept them on the bed, along with some of the jewellery that he had found in one of the drawers. He turned around to the group and said, "I don't have a use for any of this stuff, so I would prefer if it had a good home. The shozokus on the bed and the jewellery is off limits, but any other clothes or accessories, you can have."

The looks on Anko's and Shizune's faces suggested that Christmas had come early, and Inner Sakura roared, 'JACKPOT!' Naruto looked worried at their expressions and said, "Just…just no fighting please. And try not to make a mess." They all nodded and Naruto slid out of the way. Ino looked forlornly at the clothes and then at Naruto, who was walking out into the living room. He smiled and said, "Don't worry about me. I'm just going to sit for a while outside. Go ahead, take your pick." Ino's face lit up in delight. She pecked him quickly and threw herself into the fray.

But before the Kunoichi could get ready to start shopping, Gaara entered the room and held up his hand. All of them froze. He withdrew a forest green dress, and then a pleated black skirt. He set them on the bed, and then went to the dresser. He claimed a tan t-shirt with a red shuriken pattern, and a white halter with the word 'Kunoichi' across the chest in black letters of a font meant to look like it was dripping.

All the Kunoichi stared at him and he elaborated, "These are for Matsuri and Temari." They women nodded and began to start shopping. Sakura paused in the process of pulling out a dresser drawer and said, "I wonder if we should call Tenten. She's the only one not here."

Anko said, "Neither are Yugao or Kurenai."

The four women looked at each other in guilt and said at once, "Nah." Giggling, they began to scrutinize the clothes again. Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief; after hearing Yugao's name, he had gotten tense.

After the ladies finished their shopping frenzy, the clock had struck one, so they decided to have lunch before opening the other bedroom and main bathroom. Iruka and Kakashi went to get some Ichiraku takeout, and Lee left on a beverage run. The others sat on the sofas, loveseats and pulled up chairs from the kitchen table as well.

Ino and Naruto were sitting on the same loveseat, and Sakura tried to ignore that, saying, "How are you doing, Naruto?" He replied, "It's a bit weird, although this could be anyone's home. There's almost no signs showing that this is my mom's house, except for the photo frames and the books. There's nothing loud enough that jumps in front of my face and shouts, 'YO! THIS IS YOUR MOM'S HOUSE, MATE.'"

Sakura laughed. Tsunade said knowingly, "There's another room to go." Everyone's eyes turned towards her, but just then, Iruka and Kakashi entered, with two bulging bags. Ino took one and together they removed the plastic containers, handing them out. Just then, Lee entered as well, and Shizune helped him set out the cans of soda on the coffee table.

After their meal as finished, and the garbage gathered in the plastic bags near the door, everyone gathered near the second bedroom. Naruto hesitated again, and Tsunade was exasperated. She said, "For crying out loud, there's no ghosts in there." Naruto cringed at the sound of that, but mustered the courage and opened the door.

Before the door opened fully, Naruto's eyes began to fill with tears. The room was painted light blue, with a border of orange Konoha symbols at the top. On the wall opposite the door was a table. Against the right wall, there was a white crib, with a diaroma of shuriken and kunai lookalike toys spinning gently. The real reason why Naruto was crying, however, was the large image on the wall, above the table.

The image was of Kushina, propped up on a bed, wearing a gown. Her red hair hung limp, and her face was drawn, sweating and tired. Despite that, the Kunoichi's face glowed with a joy no male could ever match, as she looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms. A tiny face poked out of the bundle, bright cerulean blue eyes meeting her green orbs with infant curiosity. A small fuzz of golden hair crowned his head, and his chubby cheeks were unmarked.

Tsunade said, "Is that loud enough for you?"

Naruto nodded and wiped his tears, before turning to leave the room. As he passed by the Kazekage, Gaara put his hand on Naruto's shoulder and said quietly, "Congratulations, Naruto." Naruto answered, "Thanks. And if you ever find anything, and need me, I'll be there. Believe it." The Kazekage nodded and Naruto returned to the living room.

"Alright, what have we got?"

After the initial tour, the shinobi had spread out throughout the house for a more detailed inspection.

Kakashi insisted, "You first."

Naruto shrugged, "Okay. The kitchen is fully stocked. Mom had more pots and pans and knives than I would know what to do with. And all the cutlery is in pretty good shape too. No rust or anything. But Hinata says she checked the appliances and…"

Hinata blushed at having to speak to everyone, as they stared at her. She mustered her courage and said, "I looked inside t…the appliances with the Byakugan. But it's…it's no good. They've all gone beyond repair. The refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher al…all need to be replaced."

Kakashi nodded and said, "That fits with what we saw in the main bathroom. The washer and the drier are deader than dead." Gaara said, "The furniture in the baby room is pretty good. There are also some infant clothes in a drawer in the room. You will need to decide what to do with those."

Shizune sighed with envy and said, "Everything is working in the master bathroom. Man, I'd love to try out that Jacuzzi."

Tsunade reported, "The bed and dressers are in good shape. The alarm clock isn't working, though." Anko broke in, "The furniture in the living room might as well be new. But the television in the media centre has come serious snow. I don't think it's even worth fixing." Iruka said, "So, what do you think, Naruto?"

After a moment's consideration, Naruto said, "I've made up my mind. I'm going to move in here. It's just too nice to give up, and mom would like me to have it." Ino smiled and held his hand. She said, "Congratulations, Naruto." Everyone else offered their congratulations as well, until he spoke again.

"Now, all I need to do is move…"

In less than a second, Naruto and Ino were the only ones left in the room.


	37. Chapter 37: The Secret Entrance

**Author's Note: **Hey, what's up guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you today. I have a bit of bad news, though, so I thought you should hear it before reading on. I will not be posting next week. The reason is that I am going out of town to a very remote place, where there is absolutely no internet connection. And I don not have a portable means of typing as well. I will be gone for about ten days, and I won't have much time when I come back, because of college. So I just wanted to say sorry, but there's some things more important than story writing, of course. I hope you guys understand. And last, but not least, I would like to end this paragraph by thanking all of you. I recently hit 200 followers, and that is something I really appreciate. I always feel cheerful whenever I think that I am entertaining so many people, and the reviews are also really great to read. Thank you so much, for being an important part of my life, and helping to shape it up like this. I never thought that my story would continue for so long, but it has, and will go on as long as there is a place for it in even a single person's mind. Thanks a lot, and as usual, Happy Reading!

**Chapter 37: The Secret Entrance; Sasuke's Queries**

October went by quickly and Naruto found himself in a dilemma as to what to do about his appliances. Fortunately, Shizune came to the rescue and helped him exchange all his old appliances for new ones, with a couple more to add, and had the old ones removed, for less than the cost of the total appliances that the salesman had first given them.

Naruto said, "How on earth did you manage to bargain so much, Shizune nee-san?" Shizune grinned sheepishly and said, "I learnt a lot from Lady Tsunade while trying to settle gambling debts." Naruto grinned in amusement.

Ino bribed Sakura, Shikamaru and Choji to help Naruto move from their old house. Kakashi came to help as well. Between all of them, and Naruto's general lack of possessions, they managed to move in one day itself. Naruto finally gave a sigh of relief as he sat down on the couch, exhausted. Kakashi said, "Well, Naruto. Guess you're done shifting finally." Naruto nodded and Kakashi said, "Well, congratulations. I gotta go now, so I guess I'll see you around soon." Naruto and Ino bid him goodbye and then Ino ordered pizza for the rest of the guys.

After they were done, Naruto and Ino thanked everyone for the help and bid them goodbye. Ino closed the door and said, "Whew! Shifting sure can be a pain in the butt sometimes." Naruto grinned and said, "But it's worth it. Look at this place! It looks amazing."

Ino nodded and said, "Your mother sure had a wonderful taste." Naruto got up and said, "Now that everyone's gone, I guess it's time to see it." Ino frowned and said, "See what?" Naruto grinned and said, "Come with me."

The two of them went to the master bedroom and Ino said, "What is it, Naruto?" The boy opened the closet door and said, "Look here closely." Ino looked at the closet and suddenly noticed. She touched the back panel and it got pushed slightly behind. Ino said, "Wow, a secret entrance."

Naruto nodded and said, "I didn't want to show this to anyone, so I didn't say anything about it. Let's see what it is." He slid the back panel and clambered in. Ino went after him. The entrance was small and was a tight fit for them. Ino remarked, "Choji certainly wouldn't be able to make it in here." Naruto laughed.

There was an extremely narrow staircase in the gap, which was a surprise. Naruto said, "I thought it would be a room inside a room." Ino shook her head and said, "The connecting wall is the baby room." Naruto nodded and said, "Let's go."

The two of them went down carefully, to make sure that nothing happened. The stairs creaked slightly as they descended, but nothing happened apart from that. Around twenty stairs later, the two of them reached to a small gap, and Naruto said, "What is this? Is it just a hiding place or something?"

Ino said, "Hold on, there's a lever here." She pushed the lever, and a grating sound occurred. Naruto turned around to see the stone behind him lift up. He gave Ino a thumbs up and went in. Ino followed him. The two of them entered a room, and Naruto found a switch. He hit it and a light flared overhead, and the two of them gasped in astonishment.

The entire room was filled with weapons and gear of all kinds. There was an entire wall on the right which was filled with scrolls. Naruto whistled and said, "WOW! Mom sure knew a lot of weapons." Ino said, "Don't be so sure. Some of these could be your dad's as well." The blonde nodded and moved forward to examine the weapons.

Ino, meanwhile, was on the left side of the room, gazing at all the poisons. She said, "This is amazing, Naruto. There are so many rare poisons here which I've never even seen before in my life." Naruto nodded and said, "I know what you mean. There's weapons here which I thought didn't exist anymore."

The blonde moved his hands over the various weapons. All of them were in excellent condition, gleaming dully in the low light. He saw a katana, a tanto, a chokuto, a broadsword, a pole staff, a manriki-gusari, tonfas, nunchaks, and so many other weapons. But he couldn't see a staff-blade anywhere, so he was slightly disappointed.

Ino read his disappointment correctly and said, "I guess she didn't have time to master it." He nodded slightly and cheered up marginally, saying, "But look at all these which she did master." Ino said, "Let's check out the scrolls."

The two of them sat there for a couple of hours, poring over the scrolls. Most of the scrolls were TaiJutsu scrolls, featuring moves and stances which neither of the two had ever seen before. However, Naruto recognized one of the stances as the Iron Monk and said, "This was the preferred stance of my mother. It is said that she was the first one to use it here in the Leaf."

Ino gazed in amazement at the scroll and said, "That is so difficult. How could she even perform moves like those?" Naruto said, "It isn't that difficult. I've already mastered most of these moves." Ino said, "How? If these scrolls were here, where did you learn these moves from?"

Naruto said, "It's a secret. I'll tell you some other day." Ino understood and moved over to the medical scrolls. She said, "This is amazing. With all this information, I can really help the Leaf village invent new poisons. It will really help in battle."

Naruto was poring over some of the NinJutsu scrolls. He said, "Wait a minute. This looks familiar. What is a scroll of the Hiraishin Jutsu doing here?" Ino shifted over and saw it. She said, "Perhaps your mother was learning it? Judging by the amount of stuff she knew, it wouldn't be surprising."

Naruto pondered over it, before his stomach started grumbling and he said, "Let's wrap things up and come back some other time. And we'll need to bring some more lights." Ino agreed and they kept everything back in place before heading up.

Sasuke stood before the members of the Akatsuki, as they surmised him. Zetsu said, "Well, what do we do? Are we really taking him in?" The rest of them looked at him in surprise. He shrugged and said, "Just asked."

Pein said, "We have little choice, as does he. He has nowhere to go, and we are at our worst strength ever. Itachi has disappeared. He has blocked all forms of communication with us, I believe that he has betrayed us. And we all know that Kisame follows him to a fault; so we have lost a lot of strength. The only way to make up that strength is to induct more young and strong people into our fold, and Sasuke is one of those who fall into that very category."

Zetsu nodded and said, "So, Sasuke. What are your abilities?" Sasuke said, "My primary affinity is lightning style, although the Uchihas also have a natural affinity for fire style jutsus. I have developed my lightning style jutsus to all work at S-Rank. I am also able to use Water Style, though not extensively. And because I am Orochimaru's host, I have access to his chakra and his accelerated healing."

Zetsu nodded and said, "Impressive for a young kid like you. You can also handle weapons, can you not?" The young Uchiha tilted his head slightly in a nod and Zetsu said, "That's good enough for me." Konan spoke, "What is the status of your Sharingan?"

Sasuke replied with a hint of pride in his voice, "I possess the Mangekyo Sharingan, and can use Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu." Pein said, "What about Suseri or Susanoo?" Sasuke shook his head and said, "It takes time for all the abilities of the Mangekyo Sharingan to be awakened."

Pein said, "Very well. That's a little disappointing, but I guess you can't expect for everything in life at once. Anyway, do you have any other questions?" Both Konan and Zetsu shook their heads, and Pein said, "Let's get this over with then."

Just then, Deidara and Tobi entered the room. The blonde shinobi said, "Who's the new kid?" Tobi looked at Sasuke with interest. Pein said, "This is Uchiha Sasuke. He's the newest member of the Akatsuki." Tobi looked at Sasuke with interest, and Deidara snorted. He said, "You sure about this, Pein? I'll eat my own clay if he's half as strong as Itachi is."

Sasuke pulled out his sword and said smoothly, "Care to repeat that?" Pein laughed and said, "Put that away, Sasuke. Deidara never trusts anyone's strength until he sees it for himself. You'll have your chance to show your strength soon enough." Sasuke put his sword back in place, but continued to glower at Deidara, who seemed supremely unconcerned.

Tobi said, "So, are we going through the oath taking process?" Pein nodded and said, "Uchiha Sasuke, today you are a full ring member of the Akatsuki, acknowledged by all remaining ring members. You are part of something larger than yourself. You work for us, and gain the benefits of the organization in return. If you fail to perform your duties, there will be severe consequences. If you betray the Akatsuki, you will be hunted by us for the rest of your life."

Sasuke nodded and Pein said, "Very well. You are free for now, I shall call on you when I have need of you." Sasuke walked out, bumping his shoulder into Deidara on the way out. The blonde shinobi turned to fire a punch at the raven haired teen, who simply ducked and kicked out, sweeping out Deidara's legs from under him at lightning speed.

He turned around, showcasing red eyes with a triplet of stars, and said, "Don't mess with me." and simply walked out. It was Deidara's turn to glower at the teenager. Tobi laughed nervously, to dispel the tension, but only succeeded in making things worse, as he said, "I wouldn't trouble him, Deidara." The rogue ninja from the Stone village roared, "YOU THINK I'M SCARED OF HIM?"

Tobi visibly shivered and said quickly, "Of course not, of course not!" Pein said, "Leave, all of you. I need some time alone." Everyone nodded and took off.

Naruto headed off towards Ichiraku, thinking, 'It's been a long time since I've had some good ramen. Here I come, old man!" As he reached, he saw Iruka heading over towards the shop as well and smiled. He said, "Hey, Iruka sensei. Long time." Iruka smiled as well and said, "It sure has been. Getting ramen, I presume?" Naruto nodded enthusiastically.

The two of them entered the restaurant together and Teuchi looked up at them, smiling as he saw his favourite duo walk up together. He said, "It's been a while, you two. I was wondering whether you guys had forgotten about poor old me." Naruto said, "As if, Teuchi-san. I'll be coming here long after Ayame gets old."

Ayame came out of the kitchen, saying, "Did someone call?" Naruto said, "Nothing, Ayame-chan, just pointing out to your dad that his ramen is what's held me together so long." Iruka laughed. Teuchi said, "The usual, then?" The two of them nodded, and the old man got to work.

Iruka said, "So, what's new, Naruto?" Naruto said, "Well, apart from my house, I guess nothing much. Oh, wait, I invented a new jutsu." Iruka felt as stunned as looked. "A new jutsu? And you're just saying it like it's nothing?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "What's the big deal? Jutsus are invented all the time, aren't they?" Iruka thought about that and said, "But not by sixteen year old teenagers." Naruto smiled and said, "Well, I guess I'll show it to you sometime."

Iruka said, "That reminds me, are you going to be participating in the Jonin Trials to be held in a couple of months?" Naruto said, "I'm not quite sure what to do, sensei. On one hand, I really want to become Jonin. But on the other, I don't know if I'll be able to make it through, what with my GenJutsu, Stealth and Tracking skills being so weak."

Iruka said, "Well, it's good to at least try. Even if you pass three out of five trails, maybe you can achieve the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin." Naruto frowned, "Tokubetsu? As in, Special Jonin?" Iruka nodded, saying, "Like Ebisu, or Anko."

Naruto said, "I thought they are Jonin." Iruka shook his head, saying, "They are Tokujos. A Tokujo is one who is lacking in some skills, but more than compensates for it in some other skill. For example, if you are really bad at GenJutsu, but more than capable in NinJutsu, then that would allow you to become a Tokujo." Naruto nodded slowly, processing all this. He said, "Then what's the big deal about Jonin?"

Iruka said, "Jonin are considered elitists, that is, they are the best of the best in the village. Few ninjas ever make it to the level of Jonin, because of the all roundedness of the tests. Most prefer Tokujo, where they can actually focus more on their strengths rather than trying to overcome their weaknesses."

Naruto said, "But that means that a Tokujo is beneath a Jonin, right?" Iruka shook his head again and said, "You'd think, but not really. You see, since Tokujos have specific skills, they usually work individually, while most Jonin have to undertake teams of Genin ninjas. So, even if the rank is beneath Jonin officially, it does not undermine the shinobi who achieves the rank. Consider you; you're a Chunin, but you're already as strong as Kakashi, who is a Jonin. So rank doesn't necessarily equate to power, always remember that."

Naruto said, "Alright, sensei. Although I'll try my best to achieve Jonin rank." Iruka said, "I know you will. Because you never give up." Naruto said, "That's for damn sure." Teuchi passed their ramen to them, and they ate silently for a while.

After lunch, Iruka said, "Good luck to you, Naruto. If you ever need help, you know that I'm always there for you." Naruto thanked him and the two of them parted ways. Naruto headed towards home when Ino suddenly appeared in front of him. He was surprised and said, "Since when did you start shunshining everywhere?"

Ino smiled and said, "Thanks to the Rasengan training, my chakra reserves have expanded way beyond a normal shinobi." Naruto nodded and said, "So, what's up?" Ino said, "My dad said that you wanted to help with my birthday, right?" The knucklehead nodded, confused as to what it implied.

Ino said, "My mom is heading out to all our friends today to hand out my birthday invitations, and she would like someone to accompany her. And I think Dad already nominated you for the job." Naruto punched his fist into his other hand and said, "Oh yeah, I remember! He asked me to do it for him when I talked to him at my birthday party."

Ino said, "Let's go then." Naruto inclined his head as if to let her lead the way.

At Ino's house, Naruto finally met Ino's mother officially. Although he had seen her before, he had never spoke to her until now. He remarked, "I see where Ino gets her looks from."

Ino's mother, Mitsuri, smiled at the praise and said, "Well, I'm certainly glad that you're a well-mannered boy, after all the bad things people said about you. You're very sweet." Naruto said, "That's a relief to hear. So, where are we going to deliver all these invitations?"

Mitsuri said, "We are heading towards all of our closest friends first, including the Akimichi clan and the Nara clan. I shall also introduce you to other members of the Yamanaka clans." Naruto nodded enthusiastically and said, "I would love to meet everyone." The two of them bid goodbye to Ino and walked off together.

The next couple of hours went into passing out the invitations to all the various members of the Yamanaka clan. Naruto was pleased to meet everyone, and most of them already recognized him, partly from his kiss with Ino, or his performance in his first Chunin exam, against Neji.

As the two of them walked over towards the Nara clan property, Mitsuri said, "So, Naruto, have you ever thought about getting married someday?" Naruto said thoughtfully, "Not really. I mean, Ino and I have spoken about it, and we both want to get married to each other, but we both kinda want to achieve our goals in life first."

Mitsuri said, "Uh huh. And what are your goals in life?" Naruto said, "Well, Ino wants to achieve at least Jonin rank, and I of course, want to become the Hokage." Mitsuri nodded and said, "That is a high ambition." The teenager scratched his cheek and said, "Yeah, it is, but I think I'll be able to do it someday. Someday soon, too."

Mitsuri smiled and said, "Well, you're quite the determined one, aren't you?" Naruto puffed his chest out and said, "That I am." The two of them walked in silence for a while, until they reached Shikamaru's house. The lazy boy welcomed the two of them in, and called his dad to accept the invitation from Mitsuri.

Shikaku said, "Well, I'll be honoured to be a part of your daughter's majority. Thanks a lot, Mitsuri." Mitsuri inclined her head and Shikamaru said, "Hey, Naruto, come here a sec." The blonde walked over to him and Shikamaru whispered to him, "The Konoha 11 is planning to make Ino's cake. Everyone knew till now, except you. I was tasked with telling you, but finding you was too troublesome. So, now you know. Meet us at the Forest of Death on Saturday at 11AM."

Naruto said, "Why the Forest of Death?" Shikamaru smiled and said, "Coz that's the only place Ino would never think of, on her own." Naruto nodded and the two of them went back to Shikaku and Mitsuri, who were chatting about their own majorities.

Mitsuri said, "Well, we better get going. I have to still get invites to the Akimichis, and get back home to prepare for tomorrow." Naruto nodded and the two of them left, with Naruto giving Shikamaru a thumbs up. Mitsuri said, "I think we should take a break." Naruto said, "Alright." They sat on a park bench nearby, and Naruto said, "You know, I've always been curious. How was Ino like when she was a kid? I never got to know her well before we became Genin."

Mitsuri smiled in remembrance and said, "Ino was always fiercely independent. She would always try to get her way, and in that regard, she's just like her father. But apart from such times, she's always been kind at heart and a very polite and sweet girl."

Naruto said, "How come you guys allowed her to live on her own before she attained her majority?" Mitsuri laughed; which Naruto hadn't expected at all. He stared at Ino's mom, surprised at the reaction, and Mitsuri said, "It all happened when Inoichi walked in on her while she was changing."

Naruto understood suddenly, and he started laughing too, as Mitsuri told him the entire story. The two of them were nearly in tears of laughter by the end, when Sakura walked up in front of them. She said, "Hi, Mitsuri-san. Hi, Naruto, what are you doing here?"

Naruto replied, "I'm helping Mitsuri-san distribute the invitations for Ino's birthday." Sakura nodded and said, "Mitsuri-san, how come I don't get an invite?" She huffed up her face in mock disappointment, and Mitsuri laughed, saying, "Actually, I was inviting my friends and Inoichi's friends first, and I was going to invite all of Ino's friends tomorrow. But since you've met us anyway, here." She handed out an invitation to Sakura, who said, "Ooh, it's so cute! Did you make these yourself?" Mitsuri nodded.

Naruto said, "Alright, Mitsuri-san. We should get the rest handed out before the sun goes down." The older woman nodded and said, "Nice meeting you, Sakura. How come you never come home?" Sakura said, "Oh, I've been busy with missions and training and stuff. You know, the Jonin Trials are being held in a couple months and I've been trying to get my skills up a notch." Mitsuri said, "That's nice to hear. I do so love when you young kids are so determined to become wonderful shinobi." Sakura smiled and Naruto said, "That reminds me, Sakura, you need to work on NinJutsus, right?" Sakura nodded and said, "Why?"

Naruto said, "I was thinking of teaching Ino the Shadow Clone Jutsu, so I thought, why not teach you, too? It's an A-Rank technique, which will hold quite some merit in the trials." Sakura said brightly, "That would be wonderful, Naruto! Thanks a lot!"

Naruto said, "Don't mention it. Ino and I will be heading off to a training ground together. We'll swing by your place, most probably." Sakura nodded and bade them farewell. Mitsuri said, "Naruto, forgive me for being blunt, but do you, or have you ever had a crush on Sakura?" Naruto froze.

He turned to face her, and then said, in the most serious voice he could muster, "Mitsuri-san, I used to like Sakura a lot. I spent years trying to win her heart, to try to take her out on a date. Until the day I realized that Sakura was madly in love with Sasuke. That's when I stopped chasing after her. After that, of course, I went on a training trip with Per…Master Jiraiya, for three years, and forgot about what feelings I had for her. I realized it was just a minor crush."

Mitsuri listened with interest, and he continued, "After I came back, my house was burnt down by some villagers who hated me. You know, because of my, let's say, furry little problem." Mitsuri nodded, and the Kyuubi growled inside Naruto's stomach.

The boy said, "That was when Ino told me that I could stay as a roommate in the house where she was staying. Since I wasn't having any luck anywhere else as it is, I decided to take the offer. As the days went by, I realized that I was getting more attracted to Ino by the minute. I tried to tell myself that it was just a crush, like Sakura, but it soon became obvious, that I truly loved her, from the bottom of my heart."

Mitsuri said, "I am glad to hear that. Just one more question; will you always love Ino with all your heart?" Naruto smiled confidently and said, "No."

Mitsuri stared at him, shocked and stunned. He went on smiling, and said, "Don't get me wrong, Mitsuri-san. However, if I were to love Ino with all my heart, then how could I love everyone else, who have made me what I am today? I wouldn't be able to love Lady Tsunade, Master Jiraiya, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, old man Teuchi, and all my friends, who will always have a place in my heart. But I can say this; the largest part of my heart will always belong to Ino."

Mitsuri wiped a tear out of her eye and then hugged Naruto. He wasn't expecting this, and was quite surprised. She said, "That is the most wonderful thing I've ever heard in my entire life. I hope that the two of you always remain as happy as you are now." Naruto smiled and said, "I will always keep that in mind."

As the day ended, Naruto escorted Mitsuri home, who was tired from all the walking. Naruto couldn't wrap his head around this and said, "Mitsuri-san, aren't you a ninja?" Mitsuri shook her head, to Naruto's amazement, and said, "I am, or at least used to be, a model. Didn't Ino ever tell you?"

A figurative light bulb went off in Naruto's head as he remembered Narumi talking about Ino's mother when they were at the mission at the beach. He said, "Oh, yeah, now I remember. Sorry, I have a bit of trouble remembering things."

Mitsuri said, "It's not a problem. But ever since I've had Ino, I've been working in our flower shop, so I don't usually walk around so much. It just took a little strain on me today, but I'll be in better shape tomorrow." Naruto said, "Alright, then. I guess we'll meet soon." They reached Mitsuri's house and she said, "Thanks a lot for the help, Naruto. It was a pleasure meeting you and spending time with you." She kissed him lightly on the cheek as a thanks, and headed off inside the house.

Naruto headed home, thinking, 'Ino will be glad to know that the two of us are getting along well.' He reached home and Ino welcomed him, asking exactly the one question which he knew she would, "Well? How'd it go with my mom?"

Naruto smiled and said, "I think we really hit it off with each other. She really likes me and I like her too." Ino said, "I'm glad. Now there's no problems." Naruto said, "Hey listen, I met Sakura today, and she needs to work on her NinJutsu skills a little. So I told her that she could come over tomorrow and that I'll teach the two of you the Shadow Clone Jutsu together. Is that alright?"

Ino said, "Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?" Naruto said, "Just asking." The two of them had a light dinner, and then turned in. Naruto stared outside the window, unable to sleep, thinking, 'What are you doing now, Sasuke? Can you hear me?'

Sasuke woke up with a jerk. He thought, 'What was that feeling? Like someone's… no, Naruto's voice in my head?' He tuned out all other sounds, and listened carefully, but couldn't hear it again. The raven haired boy frowned. He thought, 'What is this weird feeling that I have? As if I'm about to face Naruto soon?'

The next day, Sasuke woke up, remembering the weird feeling he had the previous night, and shook it off. He got ready, putting on his regular clothes, before he noticed a package lying in front of his bed. He opened it, only to find a heavy black cloak in it. He shook it open, and it revealed a pattern of red clouds on it.

Sasuke marveled at the quality of the robe. It looked pretty simple from the outside, but was heavily armored from within. It had steel armor all around the insides. There were also pockets for hidden kunai and shurikens. The boy quickly donned it, and a voice sounded, "Looking good, there Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke turned to face Pein. The leader of the Akatsuki stood in front of him, his figure oddly distorted, and in various shades of different colours. Sasuke said, "What has happened? Am I needed? And why are you looking like that?"

Pein said, "It is a jutsu. I am but a holographic projection of my real body, which is useful for speaking to the other members of the Akatsuki without travelling by myself." Sasuke said, "That still doesn't answer my first two questions."

Pein inclined his head towards Sasuke and said, "Fair enough. I have called a meeting in the Hidden Rain Village, where I am presently. Travel to it and reach within a day. Once you reach the perimeter, Zetsu will guide you in. And keep in mind that this is a test, as much as it is a meeting. If you can't make it within a day, you will be removed from the Akatsuki." Sasuke nodded curtly and the image of Pein disappeared. The boy swung into action, packing a few things into a scroll, and got ready to travel.

Naruto walked along with Ino towards training ground 7. The road passed by Sakura's house, so they would be able to pop in at her place and pick her up as well. He said, "It's a wonderful morning for training, isn't it?" Ino nodded, taking in a deep breath. She sighed in satisfaction, and said, "It's going to be fun, learning a new jutsu. I haven't done this in quite a while." Naruto said, "Are you going to participate in the Jonin Trials this time?"

Ino shook her head and said, "It's not time for me yet. I have yet to master quite a few jutsus, as well as weapons, until I'm ready to take the trials. Although I'm good in GenJutsu, and stealth, but that's not enough for me." Naruto scratched his cheek, recalling what his teacher had told him, and said, "Well, Iruka sensei told me that even if you can't make Jonin, you can make Tokubetsu Jonin if you have a particular skill set which is excellent."

Ino stopped, and said, "Are you sure?" Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah, he said that suppose you're bad in GenJutsu, but really good in NinJutsu, then the Council might allow you to become a Special Jonin."

Ino said, "Wow, that's something I didn't know." Naruto nodded his head and said, "I know, it made me think, even if I don't know GenJutsu very well, I can still make Tokujo right now, which is why I'm taking the trials. You should do it too, even if you don't make Jonin, you might at least get promoted to Tokujo. If not that, you'll know where your weakness is so that you can focus on them until the next trials."

Ino said, "That's actually a good idea. I guess I'm in, then." Naruto smiled. Just then, the two of them saw Sakura walking in front of them, and ran up to her. Sakura looked behind at the sound of running, and smiled as she saw the two of them. She said, "Good morning, Naruto, Ino! How are you guys?"

Naruto and Ino both replied, and they fell into step with her. Sakura said, "I guessed that you would go to our old training ground, Naruto. So, you're actually going to teach us, huh? Never expected that." Ino stifled a giggle as she saw Naruto's face turn annoyed, and he said, "Oh yeah? What's not to expect about it?"

Sakura stretched her arms as he was speaking, and said, "Well, it's just that, just four years ago, you pronounced chakra as catra. I never expected things would change so much in such a short amount of time." Naruto remembered his younger self and went red with embarrassment. Ino couldn't hold it anymore, and burst out laughing.

Naruto and Sakura looked at her in surprise, and she said, "It's so funny, remembering all the goofing up that Naruto used to do when he was young." Sakura smiled as well, and said, "Yeah, I used to get so angry with him at that time, but when I think about it, I realize how funny it is now." The two of them looked at each other, and suddenly hugged Naruto at the same time. He froze, and Ino said, "Thanks a lot, for being in my life."

Sakura nodded, saying, "Thanks for not giving up on being my friend, even after I treated you so badly." Naruto gave them a small smile, and said, "Alright, that's enough emotional talk. Let's go and do some hard work now." The two girls simultaneously replied, "Alright, let's go."

After a few minutes of all out running, the three of them reached the training ground and Naruto said, "Tired?" Sakura said, "You wish." Ino also nodded and said, "We're not seven anymore, Naruto." The boy said, "I guess that's true. Alright, then let us begin."

He started warming up, and the two girls followed. They did the usual stretching exercises and warming up that they were used to. Then Naruto said, "Alright, now first of all, I worked my ass of trying to achieve this jutsu, because I had terrible chakra control back then."

Sakura said, "So, are you saying that we will find it easier?" Naruto nodded and said, "Partly. Since your chakra control is much better than mine, you will have an easier time creating the clones. The problem will be controlling the amount of clones that you make, and the number of times you can do so, without your chakra reserves being depleted. Now, as far as I know, I remember what Kakashi sensei was telling me about chakra reserves. Since girls have much finer chakra control by default, they don't stretch themselves too much, and so they have smaller reserves by default. Now, this doesn't apply to you two, of course, after Ino's Rasengan training, and your training with Grandma Tsunade, Sakura. But it doesn't mean that you can create hundreds of clones at once."

Ino said, "How do we control the number of clones we make?" Naruto said, "I'll get to that later. But first, make sure that the chakra in your body is flowing steadily. Swirl it around a little, just to be sure." The two girls focused, and let their chakra flow around steadily. They said, "Done."

Naruto said, "From this hand sign with your hands." He performed the Clone Seal, and the two girls followed. Sakura said, "This is a different seal. It isn't part of the regular twelve seals. I've always meant to ask you, but I kept forgetting. How did you learn this seal anyway?"

Naruto replied, "I learnt it from the Scroll of Forbidden NinJutsu." Sakura gasped and he said, "It's not a big deal, it is part of why I became Genin in the first place." Sakura continued to stare at him and he said, "It's not important, Sakura. I'll tell you two about it some other time. For now, let's continue with the jutsu."

The pink haired kunoichi shrugged and said, "Alright." Ino and Sakura formed the Clone Seal, and Naruto said, "Now, visualize yourself in your mind. And visualize an approximate amount of clones you wish to create." Ino and Sakura did as he said, and Naruto intoned, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Three clones split off from him.

Ino and Sakura both incanted, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" as well. One clone of Ino popped into existence near her, and one clone of Sakura came into existence as well.

Naruto said, "Alright, let's see how they hold up." He told his clones to fight the girls' clones. But to his surprise, the clones disappeared almost immediately in a single hit.

Naruto said, "How much chakra did you put into the jutsu?" Ino and Sakura said, "Not a lot, actually." Naruto said, "You need quite a bit of chakra to make the clones effective enough. If you make them like these, they won't last at all. The more chakra you use, the harder they are to defeat. And a good point to remember, your chakra is evenly distributed among the number of clones that you make. So, make sure not to make too many clones, because that will tire you out almost immediately."

The two girls nodded as they processed this information. They created the clone seal again, and performed the jutsu. This time, two clones of Ino were formed, while one clone of Sakura was formed. Naruto's clones checked again, and found Sakura's one clone stronger than before, while Ino's clones were approximately of the same strength as before.

Naruto said, "Ino, try only a single clone first, until you can get the balance of chakra perfect." The blonde kunoichi said, "Okay, Naruto. By the way, how many clones can you make on your best day?"

Naruto said, "Well, the largest number I've ever made until now is a thousand at once. But that took a lot out of me." The two kunoichi gasped; a thousand! Naruto said, "That was the time I was fighting Gaara during the Leaf Village invasion."

Ino said, "How did you survive after creating such a giant number of clones?" Naruto said, "I have extremely large chakra reserves, Ino. I think you should have known about that, after spending all this time with me." Sakura said, "Yeah, that's right. Naruto almost never gets tired, or out of chakra."

The two of them continued creating clones under Naruto's supervision, until they tired themselves out. Naruto let them rest for a while, and said, "You two are close. I took almost the same amount of time to reach perfection of the jutsu." Ino stood up, and Sakura thought, 'Since when did Ino's chakra reserves go so high? I had no idea that the Rasengan training would improve her reserves so much. I have got to try the Rasengan!'

Sakura said, "All this training is making me hungry. Let's go get something to eat, shall we?" The two blondes nodded, and they went to a nearby restaurant to have some lunch. After they finished, Sakura said, "That hit the spot. Alright, just a little rest for the food to digest, then we'll get back to training!"

After their brief rest, the three of them went back to the field, and continued the training, until the two girls had successfully created three clones apiece, all of which were firm and strong. Naruto said, "That's some great success. That should actually do it for the Jonin Trials, you know. Just make sure that you keep practising, increasing the clones one by one. And yeah, if you use the clones for training, you can master new jutsus in half or one third the time you usually take. That's how I did it with the Rasenshuriken."

Sakura said, "Alright! One jutsu in the bag! Thanks so much, Naruto!" Ino also thanked Naruto, and then said, "It's getting late, Naruto. Let's get going." The boy nodded, and said, "Well, then. If you have any problem, you know where to find me, Sakura." The pinkette said, "Yup, you got it, Naruto. Thanks again. By the way, can you make it to Ichiraku's tomorrow for lunch? My treat, for this jutsu." Naruto nodded enthusiastically and said, "Sure!"

Ino shook her head, sighing at her ramen addicted boyfriend. She said goodbye to Sakura, and the two of them began walking home. Ino said, "This is quite a useful jutsu, Naruto. Every time my clones vanished, I could sense their memories." Naruto said, "That's partly why the clones are used, for espionage, and stealth."

Ino said, "My stealth skills will skyrocket with this jutsu." Naruto said, "I hope they do." The two of them reached home, and decided to get a pizza. Suddenly, someone rang their bell. Naruto said, "I'll get it. Can you order the pizza?"

Ino said, "Sure." Naruto got up and went to the door. He opened it only to find Choji and Shikamaru standing outside. He said, "What's up, guys?" Shikamaru said, "Close the door."

Naruto complied and Choji said, "Where on earth were you? Did you forget that we had to rendezvous at the Forest of Death today?" Naruto slapped his forehead and said, "I knew I was missing something! Sorry guys, I totally got caught up teaching Ino and Sakura the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Choji and Shikamaru stared at him for a moment, and then Shikamaru said, "You taught them that jutsu?" Naruto said, "Yeah, why?"

Choji said, "Isn't that an A-Rank jutsu?" the blonde replied, "Yeah, it is." Shikamaru said, "Wow, that's unexpected. But never mind that, we need to decide what to do about the cake. Ino should have the best cake for her birthday ever. We cannot afford to goof this up."

Naruto said, "Tell you what. We'll meet up on top of the Fourth Hokage's monument tomorrow. We'll decide what to do then." Choji said, "You better not forget tomorrow, Naruto." The two of them left, and Naruto went back in. Ino said, "Who was it?" Naruto said, "Umm, just some kids playing pranks, I suppose." Ino said, "Then why were you out so long?"

The knucklehead said, "I went searching for them, but they must have ran off pretty quick." Ino said, "Alright. Man, where's that pizza, I'm starving." The two of them decided to watch TV until then. Naruto flicked over the channels, finding nothing impressive, until a news channel flashed and he stopped to see it.

The man on the news channel said, "In a recent turn of events, the Land of Grass has refused to sign the treaty with the Land of Greens. This is surprising, because the two of them were about to share military secrets with each other, and were planning to from an alliance just a couple of months ago."

Naruto said, "Did you know about this, Ino?" The female shook her head and said, "That's too bad. I wonder what happened in order for the Land of Grass to suddenly change their minds like this." Naruto said, "Well, we may never know." Just then, the doorbell rang again, and the boy got up to answer it. Ino saw him coming back in with a pizza and said, "Finally! Let's eat!"

Sasuke ran along the dark, deserted path, not caring about all the sounds around in the forest. He thought, 'I must get there quickly, or else I won't have access to the information that Akatsuki have promised me, regarding Itachi."

Suddenly, two men came up in front of him. They said, "Halt, stranger. Who are you and where are you from?" Sasuke said, "Who's asking?" The two men replied, "We are shinobi of the Hidden Rain, and we keep an eye out on this road, in order to protect our land." Sasuke said, "I see. And where are your headbands?"

The two of them instantly whipped out their headbands out of their pockets, and showed them to him. He thought, 'Do they really take me for a fool? Even without my Sharingan, I can make out that they are forged.' He decided to scare the two off, since he didn't want to waste any time.

The two men said, "Who are you?" Sasuke closed his eyes, and said, "Do you really want to know?" The two of them hesitated, and Sasuke opened his eyes, which glowed red in the darkness. The two supposed shinobi visibly balked; and one said, "The Sharingan?! It's supposed to be extinct!"

The other said, "Don't try to fool us, kid. Hey, Ichi, it's probably a GenJutsu of some sort." The other one nodded nervously, and said, "But what if it isn't?" The other guy said, "Release!" But Sasuke's eye continued to glow, and Ichi said, "Oh crap. This guy is the real deal." Sasuke said, "I've just about had it with all of you bandits, pretending to be shinobi, and trying to steal from us. I would kill you right now, but I have an appointment and I can't afford to screw it. Count yourself lucky." He stepped up in front of them before they could see it, and knocked the two of them unconscious.

'Stupid blighters.'

The raven haired boy continued running, as fast as his feet would take him. But one nagging thought kept ringing inside his head, 'Why are the number of bandits increasing so much? What are the Hidden Villages doing? Is everyone sleeping?'

At the crack of dawn, Sasuke noticed the forest thinning out, and thought, 'Alright, I made it before time.' Just then, he noticed his destination. He thought, 'That is unusual. It is raining over there, but not here. What is happening?' He decided not to think too much and focused on reaching it.

As Sasuke got close to the village, he noticed that the wall which was built around it was quite big and thick. He thought, 'The Leaf does not have even half the fortification this village has.' He stopped, thinking about how he could enter. There was only one door as far as he could see, and it was closed.

Just then, a shape sprouted out of the ground in front of him, forming itself into a white Zetsu. The plant like shinobi said, "Hello, Sasuke-kun. I am glad that you made it here in time. Come on, I shall lead you inside the city." He began walking towards the city, and Sasuke's confusion grew, seeing that Zetsu was calmly approaching the gates. He thought, 'Isn't this guy a renegade shinobi? How can he just walk into a hidden village like that?'

Just then, the doors began to open, and Sasuke noticed a couple more white Zetsus standing on the other side, working on the mechanism of the door. Sasuke said, "Are these your clones?" Zetsu looked back at him, saying, "Yes, they are."

The boy said, "Where are we headed? And where are all the shinobi of this village?" The white shinobi simply waved his hand in a general direction which lay ahead of them, and said, "You'll see soon."

Sasuke frowned, saying, "That doesn't answer the second question." Zetsu smiled stupidly, saying, "You sure ask a lot of questions. Very well, I shall entertain you. This village is the home base of the Akatsuki. This is where it began."

The Sharingan wielder was stunned. He said, "You people built this village?" Zetsu shook his head, saying, "No, it was built a long time ago. We conquered it." Sasuke pondered over that for a while. Zetsu began talking again, "This village was led by Hanzo, an elite ninja, who even matched the strength of the three Sannin combined. He was a terrifying man, and everyone bowed down to him."

This piqued Sasuke's interest, and he said, "Well, how did you people defeat him?" Zetsu said, "The Third Great Shinobi War was the reason that Hanzo was defeated. In these lands, which are occupied by the Great Nations, this small village of little significance. However, it is strategically sound, because of its heavy fortification. That is why the Sand and the Stone villages tried to take over it."

"However, that is not related too much to what I'm saying. The war totally tore the village apart. Death everywhere. Orphans crying, trying to find their parents, who were dead, or missing. And in this crowd, was one child. One child who possessed an amazing ability. He was Pein."

Sasuke took all of this in, and asked, "What did he do?" Zetsu said, "Pein was tired of this war, and wanted to get it over with. He trained in the Ninja Arts, and was soon able to take missions which were rejected by Hanzo, who at that time, was only accepting missions which would lead his shinobi to gain experience."

"But when Pein started gathering other people under him, and formed a group, called the Akatsuki, Hanzo began to see him as a threat. Do you know the purple haired woman in the group, Konan?" Sasuke nodded curtly. Zetsu said, "She was kidnapped by Hanzo, in order to lure the Akatsuki out. He ordered Pein to sacrifice himself in order to save Konan."

Sasuke said, "What happened next?" Zetsu shrugged and said, "Who knows? All of this is mostly speculation and stories which I have heard over the years. Some people even say that Pein had a friend with him at that time, who helped him out. But supposedly, Pein went berserk and killed the entire army of shinobi who were allied with Hanzo."

The raven haired teenager raised his eyebrows, with suspicion and a slight amount of astonishment. He said, "Pein defeated an entire army by himself?" Zetsu nodded and said, "That is the awesome power of the Rinnegan." He smiled slightly, seeing the look on Sasuke's face, and said, "Ever since then, the village has been led by the Akatsuki."

Sasuke said, "But how come you people are considered renegades if you have a village of your own?" Zetsu said, "It's not our village officially, of course. We control it from behind the scenes. There is a man who we use to lead the villagers to continue living here, and working. We call him Leader."

Sasuke was about to say something when Zetsu pointed, "We are here." The boy looked in the direction where Zetsu was pointing and saw a giant tower in front of him. He looked around and said, "The tallest tower in the village. Isn't that a little cliché?"

Zetsu shrugged passively and said, "Let's go. Pein doesn't like people keeping him waiting."

The two of them entered the tower and began heading to the top.


	38. Chapter 38:Trouble in the Leaf

**Author's Note: **Huff, huff... Whew! *wipes brow* I finally made it! I wasn't sure whether I would be able to, but I have and I'm ready to rock and roll! Got a new chapter for you guys today, and I really hope you like it, after all this time. I am working on a couple of projects now, so I have lesser time to write, but I'm taking time out of my sleep for this, so really hope you guys enjoy reading. Again, I couldn't have done this without you guys, all the inputs that you give me really have held this story up. Won't waste too much of your time, so Happy Reading!

**Chapter 38: Trouble in the Leaf**

"Welcome, Uchiha Sasuke."

Pein's voice rang out clearly in the silence of the building. Sasuke turned around, trying to gauge where the voice was coming from, but he couldn't find the source. However, Pein appeared in front of him a second later, so suddenly that he might have just popped out of the ground.

Sasuke said, "So, why have you called me here?"

Pein said, "Wait here until the rest of the Akatsuki are here. I have an announcement to make."

Sasuke nodded and went over to sit, leaning a wall. Pein began walking out of the room and Sasuke looked up, watching him through the Sharingan. Pein looked around and said, "You won't find anything about me with those eyes. So I would suggest that you stop wasting your chakra. You're going to need it later." He walked out of the room.

A few minutes later, Deidara and Tobi walked in, arguing hotly. Tobi said, "Did it occur to you that you're missing the big picture, Deidara?" The blonde shinobi said, "I don't freakin' care! Quite wasting your time or I'll kill you!"

Just then, the two of them noticed Sasuke sitting against a wall, looking at the ceiling. Deidara said, "What are you doing here?" Sasuke ignored him. The rogue ninja from the Stone walked up to him and said, "Hey, you. I asked you a question."

Sasuke said, "I'm afraid I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your question."

Deidara stared at Sasuke, dumbfounded. The boy continued smoothly, "That means, I don't need to answer your stupid ass questions." Deidara's face slowly turned red. Tobi started walking backwards slowly, sensing trouble. Deidara had meanwhile turned purple in colour and roared, "You insolent little brat! I'll crush YOU!"

He brought his fist back to punch Sasuke in the head, but when he reared forward, Sasuke was no longer sitting against the wall. Instead, he was standing on the ceiling, using chakra to cling to it. He stared at Deidara with red eyes. The blonde shinobi was suddenly unsettled by Sasuke's speed.

Just then, Pein walked in again, this time with Konan, and said, "What is going on here?" Tobi said nervously, "Deidara tried to punch Sasuke." Pein looked at Deidara, and said, "This is no time for squabbling, Deidara. We are here for one reason only, to gather the Tailed Beasts. Fight all you want after that is done."

Deidara looked away, cheeks puffed out. Tobi laughed nervously, and Konan said, "We should get things going soon, Pein." The orange haired ninja nodded and said, "Alright. I have called all of you here for a reason. I intend to…wait, where is Zetsu?"

Zetsu sprouted out of the ground and said, "I'm right here." Pein nodded and continued, "As I was saying, I intend to go to the Leaf village and capture the Nine Tails, along with its Jinchuuriki." Everyone stared at him in wonder. He said, "Sasuke will be coming along with me, as will Konan."

Deidara said, "Do you really think that this kid can do a good job?" Pein said, "Don't question my decisions, Deidara. I have taken this decision for a reason. This leaves you and Tobi to take care of the Three Tails."

Deidara said, "Still, isn't this all happening a little too fast?" Pein said, "We have been reduced to a fraction of our strength. We must act quickly, before the other villages are able to join their forces and take us out." Deidara scoffed, "As if the villages would ever align with one another."

Pein's eyes glowed and he said angrily, "Do you really still think that? Maybe your village, and the Cloud, but the Leaf, Sand and the Mist villages have already aligned with each other. They might be sharing intel about us right now."

Deidara looked at him with sudden realization, and nodded. Pein said, "Sasuke, we will be leaving tomorrow morning. Do you have all the things you need to go? If not, Tobi will transport you back to your safe house." Sasuke shook his head and said, "I have everything I need."

Pein said, "Very well. Deidara and Tobi, you can start off right away if you want, or take a rest, and start tomorrow, along with us. The Three Tails will not be tough to capture, I'm told, since it is quite slow. But the problem is that it lives under water. So you will have to figure out how to deal with it." Deidara nodded, saying, "Not a problem. We'll leave tomorrow, that way we'll be at full strength." The leader of the Akatsuki said, "Very well. Then you are dismissed for now. Come, Konan. Sasuke, walk with me. Zetsu, watch the perimeter."

Everyone nodded. Deidara and Tobi walked off, probably to one of the rooms in the building to rest. Zetsu vanished into the ground. Sasuke took a look at Konan. She walked behind Pein and he followed. The three of them entered a room where there were six beds, which were oddly shaped. They had capsule like shapes. One of the six was open. Pein pressed a button near a console nearby, and all the capsules opened up with a hissing noise.

Sasuke said, "What is this?"

Pein said, "These are the other Paths of Pein, my other bodies. I thought you should know about them, since you're going to see them in battle tomorrow." Sasuke looked at him, confused and said, "They are your other bodies? What is that supposed to mean?"

Pein said, "I am but one part of six. These other five bodies make up one Pein. I am the face of the Six Paths, the Deva Path. The other five paths are the Asura Path, the Naraka Path, the Animal Path, the Human Path and the Preta Path. Let me show you each of them."

He looked around, and all of a sudden, a shadowy figure stood up from each capsule. They climbed out of the capsules in sync and walked up to the Deva Path. As they came closer, their faces became more apparent.

The five of them stood in a line in front of Sasuke and the Deva Path said, "These are the Paths of Pein. Our vision is shared with each other, so that we can all fight alongside everyone else while blocking each other's blind spots. From the left to the right, they are the Animal Path, the Human Path, the Asura Path, the Naraka Path, and the Preta Path. Take a good look at them, you might need their individual abilities later on. I'll talk you through all of them; pay attention."

Sasuke nodded, and Pein continued, "The Animal Path, as can be told by the name itself, is able to summon a wide variety of animals to be used in combat. All the animals are also linked with the Rinnegan, allowing us to view the world from their view as well. It is useful because the Animal Path can summon a bird to give us a top view of the world as well, showing where enemies might be hiding."

Sasuke looked at the Animal Path, a slim looking shinobi in the Akatsuki robes. His hair was dyed orange, and was long and thick, parted to his right side. He also had two chakra receivers on either side of his nose, with a thin rod connecting them through the nose. Another chakra receiver was between his eyes, and two more on the lower part of each cheek.

Pein continued, "The Human Path is able to read the mind of any target, by pulling the soul out of their body. It is useful in providing intel as well as infiltrating any place."

The human path resembled the Animal Path a little, although his hair was longer and flowed straight down. He also had two chakra receivers on either cheek. However, he had a single chakra receiver through his nose, which was tilted diagonally.

Once Sasuke was facing the third ninja, Pein said, "This is the Asura Path, whose ability is to convert its own body into mechanized armour, and different styles of ballistic machinery. It is also strong enough to tear of a person's limbs with almost no effort."

The Asura path was a pale white in colour, with no hair to speak of. He had five chakra receivers sticking out of his head, looking like horns. There were two receivers on either cheek, although they were placed as one above the cheekbone, and the other below. There was also one flat receiver on the chin, and the nose looked like it was made out of a receiver.

Pein said, "The Naraka Path is used for interrogation. It is also our go to Path in case any of us get injured. It uses the King of Hell for these purposes."

The Naraka Path had short spiky hair, very similar to the Deva Path. He also had seven chakra receivers on his face, three on either side of his nose diagonally. The seventh receiver was on the bridge of the nose. He also had three spike shaped receivers passing through each ear.

As Sasuke looked at the final Path, Pein continued, "The Preta Path has the ability to absorb chakra from the enemy or the enemy's Jutsu. It can also from a barrier of chakra, protecting itself from any attack."

The Preta Path was round faced, with orange hair slicked back. He had two chakra receivers on the nose, and two spiky receivers, on through each ear. He also had a chakra receiver underneath the lips, fashioned as though to look like serrated teeth.

Sasuke turned to look at the Deva Path of Pein, and folded his hands. Pein said, "What?" Sasuke said, "What are your abilities?" Pein smiled slightly and said, "I am able to manipulate the centre of gravity of people and objects. I can pull and push them according to my will. However, there is a short recharge time between every time I use the Jutsu. Also, the stronger the push or pull, the more time I need to recuperate."

Sasuke nodded, and said, "Alright. What about her? She's coming with us, so I should know about her abilities as well."

Konan said, "I am able to use paper to fight. I can infuse chakra into paper to turn it into whatever shape I want. I can also turn my entire body into paper, thus allowing me to control how much paper I want, to fight."

Sasuke said, "Very well. Is that all?" Pein nodded and Sasuke said, "Then I shall take my leave for now. Is there any place for me to rest?" Pein again nodded, saying, "Go down two floors, and take the first room to the right. It has all the basic commodities that a ninja should require. Get some rest, we have a long battle in front of us."

Sasuke exited the room, and walked down the stairs, thinking, 'So, my intuition was right after. Naruto, my old friend, we are going to meet after all. I wonder how strong you've become by now. Well, I guess I'll soon find out.' 

Jiraiya and Naruto walked along the road towards the Ninja Ops, talking. Naruto said, "It's been a long time since we met, Pervy Sage. Where have you been all this time?" Jiraiya said, "I've been travelling around, gathering information for my novels, Naruto."

Naruto shot him a disapproving look, saying, "So, just some stupid stuff. I thought you would be doing something more important, old man." Jiraiya gave him a look of mock anger. Naruto said, "So, what did you want from me today, anyway? And why are we headed to the Ninja Ops building?"

Jiraiya grew a little more serious and said, "I want to ask Tsunade something and as it involves you, I think it would be beneficial for you to hear it as well." Naruto said, "What is this sudden new thing that you've thought of? Something better than Sage Mode?"

Jiraiya said secretively, "Maybe."

The two of them reached Ninja Ops, Naruto badgering Jiraiya continuously about what he wanted to talk about. Genma was standing guard that day, and he said, "Good day to you, Jiraiya-san, Naruto." The two of them greeted him in return and Jiraiya said, "We want to meet Tsunade."

Genma said, "Lady Tsunade isn't in. She's gone off somewhere, without her guard." He walked up to Jiraiya and whispered in his ear, "I believe she's gone to visit the Root Foundation." Jiraiya whispered back, "You know about that?" He nodded, whispering, "The Jonin Council were informed about the changes."

Naruto grew impatient and said, "What's going on, Pervy Sage? What's with all the muttering and whispering?" Jiraiya said, "Looks like we aren't going to get our job done today, Naruto. Let's come back another time. Come on, you want some lunch?"

Naruto said, "But what happened? Where is Grandma Tsunade?"

Jiraiya said shortly, "No idea." He turned to walk off, and Naruto followed him, again trying to find out what secret Jiraiya was holding on to.

The two of them stopped at Ichiraku's to have some lunch. Jiraiya seemed to be in a world of his own, and Naruto said, "You're awfully quiet today, Pervy Sage." Jiraiya said absent-mindedly, "I told you not to call me that."

The blonde teen said, "What's wrong? Is there any problem?" Jiraiya shook his head. He took a slurp of ramen, and said, "I was just wondering, what if I'd become Hokage?"

Naruto stared at him. He finally found his tongue, and said, "Yeah, I kinda wondered about it once as well. But I realized that all the women in the village would revolt against you." Jiraiya laughed and said, "But seriously, I feel that I could have done it, if it hadn't been for the prophecy."

Naruto said, "What prophecy?" Jiraiya looked down into his bowl, thinking. Then he said, "The Elder Toad at Mount Myoboku is capable of seeing into the future. He has visions, and most of them have always turned out to be true."

The boy was now intrigued. He said, "What was this prophecy that made you rethink about being Hokage?" Jiraiya smiled and said, "You know, when I was young, I used to be just like you. I was impatient, and hot-headed, and always jealous of Orochimaru, just like you used to be jealous of Sasuke. Orochimaru was always the cool kid, while no one gave me a second glance."

Naruto listened carefully; he had never heard much about Jiraiya's past before. The old man continued, "One day, I saw Sarutobi sensei perform the Summoning Jutsu. I thought it was pretty cool and decided to give it a try when I was alone. However, I didn't know that Sarutobi sensei had caught me watching him train, and he came to stop me before I performed the Summoning. After all, you need to sign the contract along with the clan you want, before summoning them."

He smiled in remembrance, and said, "I didn't have a contract, but I still performed the Summoning. Imagine my surprise, when I was reverse summoned instead. I ended up in Mount Myoboku."

Naruto laughed out loud. He said, "Wow, I wonder what that would be like." Jiraiya said, "I was stunned for a moment. Then, I realized that I was in a strange different place, and got up from the ground, where I had fallen. But before I could do anything, I saw a toad in front of me, who was looking at a giant snake, like Manda, but smaller. Before the snake could do anything, I threw him away."

Naruto said, "Seriously? You just threw away a giant snake? Just like that?" Jiraiya said, "I wasn't as clumsy and weak as you were at that age. We were trained much harder in the olden times." Naruto stood up and said indignantly, "Hey! Say that again!" Jiraiya raised his hand, and Naruto sat down.

The old man continued, "Learn to stay calm. It was just a joke. Anyway, that toad spoke to me. I was really amazed, when he said, "It's a human child." That toad was none other than Gamabunta. At that time, he was only about my height. Not as large as he is now."

Naruto said, "What happened then? Are we ever going to get to the prophecy?" Jiraiya said, "Yeah, we're close. Anyway, Gamabunta took me to the oil fountain, where I met Lord Fukasaku. He told me that the toad clan had been expecting me, and that the Great Lord Elder Toad knew I would arrive."

He took a gulp of water, and said, "But they also said that I would not be able to meet the Elder until I was summoned, so Fukasaku took me under his wing, and trained me in the Sage Arts. I spent all my spare time in Mount Myoboku. Until one day, when I was atop a mountain, focusing on sitting still, and Gamabunta came over and told me that I had been summoned."

"I hastened over to the Elder Toad, who didn't even remember my name. I was really surprised by that, but I managed to keep myself calm." Naruto said, "Yeah, that geezer toad can really get on one's nerves sometimes." Jiraiya nodded, and said, "However, he remembered my prophecy well enough and told it to me."

Naruto said, "Well? What is it?"

Jiraiya quoted from memory, "You, who are singularly pervy, should become a great ninja, and once you do, you shall acquire an apprentice of your very own. That apprentice will become a ninja, who will bring about a great change in the Ninja World. Either great stability or great destruction, the likes of which the world has never seen. But which of these two, it is uncertain. You will be the one to guide this revolutionary change, and eventually there will come a day when you are forced to make a critical selection. And whatever choice you end up making, it will directly weigh the way this change is going to go."

Naruto said, "He called you singularly pervy?"

Jiraiya shouted, "THAT'S WHAT YOU TOOK FROM THAT?!"

Naruto said, "Alright, geez, I was just kidding. So, what choice did you make?"

The old man calmed down and said, "I asked the Elder what to do, and he said that in his dream, he saw me travelling the world, writing books. It would lead me to the fulfilment of my prophecy. That is why I left the Leaf village after some time, and decided to travel around, researching, and hoping to find out what choice to make and who to make it for, and what the outcome would be."

Naruto said, "That's deep. I hope you made the right choice, though."

Jiraiya said, "I always hope the same. But seeing as you're my apprentice, I have no doubt that I made the wrong choice." It was now Naruto's turn to shout. He yelled, "SAY WHAT?!"

Jiraiya laughed his deep laugh, and Naruto found himself joining in; and at that moment he realized how much Jiraiya meant to him. He said in his quiet husky voice, "Hey, Pervy Sage."

Jiraiya said, "What now?"

Naruto said, "Thanks a lot for being there for me." Jiraiya smiled gently and fondly rustled the boy's hair, saying, "I will always be there for you, no matter what, Naruto." Naruto quickly hugged him and said, "You better be."

After lunch, the two of them parted ways, and Jiraiya said, "I'll come over to your place in a couple of days. I'm heading outside the village right now, but I'll be back soon. Take care, Naruto." The boy nodded, and said, "Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you! I infused the Rasengan with Lightning chakra. I made a new jutsu."

Jiraiya was stunned. He said, "Are you serious right now? And you didn't tell me till now?" Naruto smiled sheepishly and said, "I…uhh, kinda forgot."

He smiled his goofy grin, and Jiraiya face palmed. He smiled, though and said, "Alright, show it to me the next time we meet." Naruto gave him a thumbs up and said, "No problemo."

He watched the old man walk towards the village gates, and thought, 'I hope I'm the apprentice who will change the world, Pervy Sage.' He began to walk home.

Sasuke woke up, and began to prepare himself for the upcoming battle. He unsealed a couple of his scrolls, and began to restock on shurikens and kunai, storing them in different seals on his arms. He also took a few food pills and plasma pills with him, for the battle, should he need them.

Pein walked in, and said, "Are you done? We are preparing to leave in five minutes." Sasuke nodded curtly, and said, "I am ready. However, I do have one question. What is my role in this mission?" Pein replied, "You will fight alongside Konan to protect me against the regular villagers."

Sasuke said, "So, I won't be fighting Naruto, then?" The orange haired man replied, "Not until it is completely necessary. Should anything happen to me, or if I should fail, Konan will assume command, and you will follow whatever directions she gives you."

The boy nodded in response. He stood up, and walked with the Deva Path outside the building. Zetsu and Konan were standing there, but none of the other Paths were visible. Sasuke said, "Where are the rest?" Pein said, "They are waiting for us to reach the Leaf. After that, I will summon them into battle." The boy frowned, saying, "You can do that?"

Pein nodded and said, "The Deva Path and the Animal Path are the only ones able to summon every other Path of Pein."

Sasuke pondered over that, while Zetsu said, "What is my job, Pein-sama?"

Pein said, "I am leaving you in temporary command of the hideout. Make sure that nothing happens to it." Zetsu nodded and bowed, and Pein said, "Let us leave now. It will take some time to reach the Leaf, since we will need to conserve our strength." Sasuke and Konan both agreed, and the three of them began walking off towards the Leaf village.

Zetsu bid them goodbye and entered the building. He thought, 'How long will my clones be able to keep up the transformation?' He knocked on a wall, and a weak voice came, "Come in."

The plant like shinobi pressed a button in the wall and it opened up, showing the secret room within it, where Nagato was sitting, along with Konan at his side. Zetsu said, "My clones have begun their journey with Sasuke."

Nagato said, "Good. This will allow me time to prepare all my Paths for battle with some extra time. I hadn't thought that Sasuke would be fooled so easily. I guess your clones have better cloning ability than I thought."

Zetsu said, "So, when are the two of you going to leave?"

Konan said, "We need to move this infernal machine along with us, so it will take some time for us to detach all the connections. After that, Nagato will initialize all the Paths, and then we will head to the mountains behind the Leaf village."

Zetsu nodded and said, "Very well. I shall take my leave, then."

Nagato inclined his head and Zetsu left the room. Konan said, "Do you really think it was wise to let Zetsu see the real you?" Nagato replied weakly, "Yes, no doubt it was. He has been with us from the very beginning of our goal, and will never betray us. He is also good at keeping his mouth shut. At least, Black Zetsu is good at that. He can keep White Zetsu's mouth shut as well."

Konan sighed, and said, "Is it really necessary for you to go all out to capture the Nine Tails? You are so weak as it is right now, as it is." Nagato said, "You are forgetting, Konan, that this is the strongest of all Tailed Beasts. Also, according to the intel, Naruto has become very strong recently. I do not want to take any chances. Anyway, Sasuke is there for a specific reason too. I am hoping to use him in order to lower Naruto's defences." Konan said, "That is clever."

Nagato nodded, saying, "Let's get this machine portable." Konan began removing the cables that were attached to the machine which Nagato was using. After a couple of hours, they were ready. Nagato said, "I'll activate the rest of my Paths." He performed a few hand signs, and a sound came floating to them from above their heads.

The six Paths of Pein opened the door and came in. The Deva Path stood in front of the rest, and Nagato said, "It is time to head to the Leaf village. Come." Konan made a giant bird out of paper and hoisted Nagato and his machine atop it. She performed a couple of hand signs and the bird began to float in the air. The other Paths of Pein jumped on to the bird and the eight of them exited the building, heading out of the Land of Rain.

Tsunade looked down at the operating table, and asked, "Are you ready for this, Itachi?" The master spy nodded and said, "I have to do this. It is either this or death for me, anyway." The Sannin said, "I guess that's true. Well, then. Looks like we should go ahead with this. Why didn't you bring Katsumi with you?"

Itachi said, "I don't want her to be nervous. I haven't told her about the operation anyway." Tsunade frowned and said, "Why not?" The master spy replied, "She is not too keen on me having an ocular transplant. So I decided not to involve her in this."

Tsunade said, "Well, you certainly have to get the operation done, Itachi. You've become almost fully blind now. It's a wonder you've been able to get along with these eyes." Itachi smiled slightly and said, "It would not have been possible without Kisame. He has been a true friend to me and I would not be here without him."

Tsunade began running some diagnostics and prepared an anaesthetic for Itachi. The man closed his eyes and relaxed.

Sasuke ran down the road, along with Zetsu's clones, who were still pretending to be Pein and Konan. The boy thought, 'What are they playing at? Do they really think that I haven't noticed that they aren't the real Akatsuki members? Oh, well. As long as I reach my goal, I have no reason to question them.' He kept following the two, who seemed to ignore him completely. The clone resembling Pein said, "We will reach the border of the Land of Fire soon. Prepare yourselves, just in case."

The teenager shifted his stance to stealth rather than speed and continued to follow the two clones. As they reached the border of the Land of Fire, they were accosted by a couple of bandits who claimed to be Leaf shinobi. Sasuke quickly got rid of them and the clone resembling Konan said, "Why did you do that? We aren't supposed to draw attention to ourselves!"

Sasuke pointed his sword at the clone and said, "Look, you. I don't know what you two are playing at, but until the real Pein and Konan get here, I am not going to play by your rules."

The clones looked at each other in disbelief. Then one of them sighed and reverted back to normal, saying, "So, we didn't fool you at all, did we?" Sasuke shook his head and the clone said, "Well, Pein will be pleased. He is preparing to come here, and it will take some more time than he anticipated. That is why he made me and my clone take his and Konan's place. They will be here after some time."

Sasuke said, "So, what do we do until then?" Zetsu replied passively, "We need to scout around the Leaf and find out all the changes in security. It's been a while since I last came here, so there's bound to be different things now that the technology has grown to vastly in the last couple of year."

The teenager looked around the trees, half expecting to see cameras around. But there was nothing in sight, apart from a few birds and insects. The three of them began walking towards the village again, and Sasuke said, "How will we know if Pein has reached here?"

The other clone replied this time, "Our clones can talk to each other telepathically, over close ranges. As soon as Pein-sama is within range of us, he will have our original send us a message. Once we receive it, all we need to do is follow it."

Sasuke nodded, not quite sure whether everything would work out so smoothly, but decided not to say anything at the moment. Just then, a patrol of Leaf shinobi passed by, and the three of them were forced to hide, taking camouflage in the trees. However, the patrol seemed to be relaxed, and didn't notice them. Sasuke thought to himself, 'Looks like the Hokage isn't doing anything to protect the village. These guys are so lax, I could take them all out without breaking a sweat.'

The other Zetsu voiced his thoughts, saying, "I expected the security of the Land to be in better shape than it is." Sasuke nodded curtly, wondering what the Hokage had been doing in his absence.

The Paths of Pein, Nagato and Konan stood atop the bird as it flew out of the Land of Rain and into the Land of Fire, and Konan said, "Look, there's Sasuke and the other two clones. Wait a minute, why are they not disguised?" Nagato said, "Looks like Sasuke caught their trick after all."

Konan started to descend, but Nagato said, "Don't, Konan. I don't want Sasuke to know about me. It's best if we go to the hideout before we summon the two of them over there. It is way too early to let Sasuke know the truth about the Six Paths of Pein."

Konan simply nodded and adjusted the flight pattern of the bird. It began flying at a much faster rate, and Nagato said, "You seem to be in a hurry." Konan said, "I just want to get this thing over with so that you can get some rest." Nagato smiled, a weak and watery smile, but a smile nonetheless. Konan put her hand on his shoulder and said, "I am not going to let you do anything after this. Please listen to me, you need complete rest."

Nagato nodded and said, "After the Nine Tails is in our possession, I will take some time off. I will leave you in charge of the Akatsuki until then." Konan shook her head and said, "I am not a leader, Nagato. You would do better with Tobi or Deidara."

Nagato shook his head, to her surprise, and said, "You know as well as I do, that Deidara is a hot head. He would never be able to think rationally. Tobi's act allows him to look like a fool. Do you think that Deidara would let him be a leader of the Akatsuki? He doesn't know anything about Tobi, but that won't make him feel any different about it. And you are the only one apart from Zetsu that know about me. You can consult with me and we can take the decisions together. The only difference would be that you would tell everyone the decisions instead of me."

Konan said, "You seem to have given this a fair amount of thought." Nagato nodded again, then went off into a fit of coughing. Konan held him up before he could collapse onto his machine. He said, "I can feel myself growing weaker. I hope that Naruto Uzumaki won't be too much of a fuss to bother with."

Naruto panted as he thought about his options. He didn't seem to have many left, though. He weighed each option, and finally decided to go with the classic. "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"

Ten clones burst forth and stood next to him, within the blink of an eye. Sakura faced the clones, determined not to let the real Naruto out of her sights. She signed quickly and said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Five clones of Sakura popped into existence next to her.

Naruto grinned slightly and said, "Well done, Sakura. Five clones is a good amount for now." Sakura panted slightly from the effort, but managed a small proud grin, nevertheless. The five clones immediately charged in, but the ten clones of Naruto were already forming Rasengans in their right hands. As Sakura's clones met the Narutos, a loud roar of "RASENGAN!" occurred, and Sakura's clones were riddled with holes. They all vanished and so did the clones of Naruto, who was now facing Sakura warily. He shook out his left hand, which had still not completely recovered from the punch he took from her.

Sakura on the other hand, was nursing bruised ribs and thinking whether she could afford another hit there or not. It had been a moment of embarrassment for the two of them when Naruto's punch had landed on Sakura's chest, but the two of them had shaken it off and resumed their practice match.

Sakura thought, 'Naruto's sure become tough as nails. I can't even land a straight punch on him. My only option is to give him a surprise.' She decided to go with one of their new moves and charged in. Naruto smiled as he realized what she was about to do, and ducked underneath her punch, putting his arms out in front of him as he did so, in order to catch her leg, which had spun out as well, to kick him in the crotch.

He said, "Well, done, Sakura, but that is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Surely you can think of something better?" Sakura grinned and vanished. A log of wood lay in her place, and intuition got the better of Naruto, who turned around just in time to block a punch from Sakura. He took a step back, just in time to hear a popping sound, and then his legs were swept out from underneath him, as the Sakura in front of him vanished, and another one reappeared behind him.

He landed on the ground heavily, all the air knocked out of his lungs and said, "Pretty good substitution-transformation trick, Sakura." The girl said, "Thanks. I thought I wouldn't get you, but I did." Naruto said, "I always have the last laugh, though, Sakura." He vanished in a puff of smoke, and Sakura barely had time to blink before a kunai was pressed to her neck.

Naruto stood behind her, holding the kunai in a way that Kakashi used to do. Sakura said, "How?" Naruto said, "I have way more control over my clones than you do. You created a clone while you transformed yourself into a log, making me think that you substituted. But I realized the trick immediately, and I made a clone at that very moment, so while your clone was attacking me from behind, you were busy trapping up my clone. As a result, I was able to get out of there, and my clone took the fall."

Sakura gaped at him and said, "But how didn't I see you then?" Naruto winked and said, "It's a secret." Sakura said, "Alright, you got me." Naruto lowered his kunai and said, "That was pretty good. You did well with the clones. You were even able to produce five without exhausting yourself." Sakura said, "That really took a lot out of me, actually. I wasn't sure whether I would be able to transform or not."

Naruto said, "Your chakra reserves seem to have expanded with the Shadow Clone training." Sakura nodded and said, "Thanks a lot for teaching that Jutsu to me, Naruto. It is incredibly useful." Naruto shrugged and said, "Least I can do."

Sakura frowned and said, "What is that supposed to mean?" Naruto said, "Since I couldn't fulfil my promise to you about bringing Sasuke back, I figured that there could be something else I could do to make up for it." Sakura frowned and said, "Does this mean that you're giving up on bringing him back?"

Naruto put his hands behind his head, and said, "I don't really know, Sakura. Sometimes I feel that I can do it, but other times I just feel that it's a fool's errand." Sakura said, "I know how you feel, Naruto. I keep feeling that maybe he's never going to come back."

Naruto smiled faintly and said, "I don't know, Sakura. Maybe he will come back, and maybe it will be sooner than you think." The pinkette smiled at the show of confidence and said, "Thanks for continuing to believe that, Naruto. I hope that what you said turns out to be true."

The two of them continued training until Sakura said, "Alright, I guess that's enough for now. I have to go to the hospital for my shift, and I can't afford to be out of chakra right now."

Naruto nodded and said, "Alright, we'll continue some other time. I guess I should get some GenJutsu training done now." Sakura said, "Who's teaching you GenJutsu?" Naruto replied, "Ino, of course." The pinkette nodded, remembering Ino's recent improvement in GenJutsu skills, and said, "Well, I'll see you later, Naruto." The blonde nodded and Sakura took off. Naruto began walking towards the Ninja Ops, hoping that Tsunade would have returned by now.

He thought, 'Grandma Tsunade has been going away quite a lot, lately. Where does she keep going that I don't know? I should find out.' He decided to ask Genma, and found the Jonin at the village Gates. Naruto said, "Hey, Genma. I wanted to ask you something."

Genma said warily, "What is it, Naruto?"

The boy replied, "I want to know where Grandma Tsunade keeps disappearing. Where is she?" Genma thought, 'Just what I was afraid of.' He maintained a neutral expression and replied, "I'm afraid I don't know, myself, Naruto. Lady Tsunade is an extremely important person, and has many businesses to attend to. I cannot keep track of them all. She may have gone to Tanzaku Town for the new police training regimen. She may have gone to the capital for business with the Daimyo."

Naruto thought about this and said, "She's been gone for quite some time, don't you think?" Genma nodded, thankful that Naruto hadn't caught his lie. He said, "She should be back by evening though, Naruto. You can meet her tomorrow if you want."

Naruto thanked Genma and walked off, thinking, 'Genma was definitely on edge today. I guess he knows where she's gone but it's some top secret thing and he doesn't want me to know. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to find out on my own.'

Tsunade said, "We're ready for the operation, Itachi. Time for you to go under." Itachi nodded. Just then, a shinobi burst in and the two of them blanched. Tsunade turned around and threw a scalpel at the shinobi, who blocked it and bowed immediately, in a gesture of submission. Tsunade saw the shinobi was wearing an ANBU mask and said, "Jesus, you had us worried for a second. What is it?"

The ANBU member said, "I was patrolling the border around the capital area when I saw Sasuke Uchiha and two others along with him. Based on the intel we have, they are clones of White Zetsu. They are heading to the Leaf Village." Tsunade said, "WHAT!"

Itachi sat up straight on his bed and said, "Sasuke is heading this way? This means trouble. Last I heard from my spies, he joined the Akatsuki in my place."

Tsunade nodded, saying, "I hope this doesn't mean that he's been sent here to capture Naruto." Itachi said, "That is my worst fear. I guess this operation will have to wait, Tsunade-sama. I need to get Sasuke out of here."

Tsunade said, "But you're very weak right now, Itachi. Your eyes..." Itachi cut in, "My eyes can wait. What is important now is to get Sasuke away from here. He'll go berserk when he sees me, and will forget about anything else, coming after me to try to kill me. I'll lure him away from the village."

Tsunade looked ready to argue, but Itachi said, "Please, Lady Tsunade. I have to do this. Just a request, please contact Kisame and tell him to meet me at the village gates immediately." Tsunade nodded and said to the ANBU member, "Not a word about this to anyone, or I'll have you executed. Understood?" The ANBU member nodded, and Tsunade said, "Go to the Uchiha estate and find Kisame Hoshigaki. Have him go to the village gates ASAP."

The ANBU member bowed again and vanished. Tsunade said, "This is something I didn't anticipate. How could I have been so blind?" Itachi said, "You couldn't have possibly anticipated something like this happening so quickly. Even I am surprised with this development. I guess I should leave quickly now, while I still can."

Tsunade nodded and said, "Best of luck, Itachi." The master spy nodded and pulled out a scroll from within his medical gown. He performed a couple of hand signs, and a black cloak with red clouds burst out. He quickly wore the cloak and exited. Tsunade wondered what would happen now. She decided to return to the Ninja Ops, and supervise the situation from there.

Sasuke and the two clones kept walking until they reached near the border of the village. Sasuke said, "We better stop here. There's bound to be tight security from here on. I don't think it is wise for us to go right in."

The clones nodded and one of them said, "We were told to head to a mountain nearby anyway. There's one to the right, maybe that's where we are supposed to go." They turned right and began to walk towards the mountain. Sasuke sighed and began to follow them.

Nagato and Konan flew over the capital city, and Nagato said, "I am surprised that we were able to come so far without encountering any resistance. Perhaps the Leaf village has become more complacent over time. Well, this will be a nice wake up call for them."

Konan nodded and said, "It is weird. I had also expected that we would be noticed by now." Nagato said, "We could crush the capital city in minutes right now, if we wanted. Unfortunately, that is not our goal right now."

They continued forward, towards the mountain which they had told the clones to head to. Nagato said, "Are you sure about this, Konan? That I will be able to control my Paths from that mountain?" Konan nodded and said, "I have no doubt you will. I am going to camouflage us with a tree made out of my paper. Don't worry, Nagato. Everything will go according to the plan."

Itachi ran as fast as he could without bumping into anyone or anything else. He reached the village gates and saw an ANBU member standing atop the village gates. He jumped up and said, "Good, you're here Kisame."

Kisame said, "What's the matter, Itachi? One moment you're getting a surgery and the next, you're running around? Was the transplant successful?" Itachi shook his head and said, "I didn't do it, yet. Sasuke is headed this way, presumably to help the Akatsuki capture the Nine Tails. We need to head him off into another direction. I can't do it by myself, not in this condition." Kisame nodded, without hesitation, and said, "What is the plan?"

Itachi said, "I'll trap Sasuke in a minor GenJutsu, which he should break easily enough. He'll realize that I'm around somewhere and will most probably give up going after Naruto and will follow me instead. I need you to support me, I am not strong enough to survive a battle against him. Most probably, I will need a quick exit if I am caught."

Kisame said, "Fair enough. Let's go."

Naruto was walking off towards Ichiraku's, thinking about what to do now. Just then, he saw a couple of Jonin running over towards the direction of the Ninja Ops. He thought, 'That's weird.' As he walked further ahead, he saw a horde of other ninjas running over there, and thought, 'Something is up.' He decided to go there as well and see what happened.

As he reached the Ninja Ops, he saw all the ninjas heading over to the roof. He went after them, but was stopped by Raido, who was supervising. Raido said, "Sorry, Naruto, only Jonin are allowed in." Naruto said, "What's going on?"

The older ninja said, "I don't really know, but Lady Tsunade just returned from wherever she had gone, and is really tense." Naruto said, "Well, whatever it is, I need to find out. And I'm as good as a Jonin anyway."

Raido said, "Be that as it may, Lady Tsunade has given me strict orders not to allow anyone below the rank of Jonin in, not even you." Naruto fumed silently, but maintained his composure and said, "Fine. I'll wait here until the meeting is done."

Raido nodded and then said, "Perhaps you can tell me about the new Jutsu you invented. It's making headlines all over town." Naruto froze; he hadn't expected something like this. Blushing a little in embarrassment, he said, "It's not a big deal, really."

He began to tell Raido all about the jutsu, all the time carefully listening for a sound from the roof. But he couldn't hear a thing, which made him wonder whether there was some sort of GenJutsu at play.

Tsunade said, "Listen up, everyone. We have received information that the Akatsuki might be trying to capture Naruto Uzumaki to extract his tailed beast. I want every one of you on patrol and make sure that you have a Hyuga along with you. I have already sent a message to their clan. If you see anything out of the ordinary, report it at once. Set all of your cellulars to emergency mode. The enemy is highly skilled and can attack out of nowhere. Be on guard, I don't want to have to deal with death over everything else. Is that clear?"

All the Jonins replied, "HAI!" and Tsunade said, "SCATTER!" All the Jonins vanished, except for Kakashi, who remained behind and said, "Where is Naruto right now?" Tsunade said, "I have no clue, but it's good that you waited back. I want you to protect him at all costs."

Kakashi nodded and said, "Any other orders?" Tsunade said, "Give the Akatsuki hell from me." Kakashi's mask twitched, indicating a smile. He vanished from there, and was on the roof of the opposite building, when he saw Naruto talking to Raido outside Ninja Ops. He quickly made his way there and said, "Hey, Naruto. What are you doing here?"

Naruto said, "I saw many Jonin running over here so I came to find out what was going on." Kakashi said, "Nothing much, just a drill. You know, Jonin Council stuff." Naruto nodded, and Kakashi said, "Want to get some training done? I want to see your Rasenbolt in action."

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. Kakashi said, "Let's go, then." The two of them nodded to Raido, who waved them goodbye as they ran off. Raido heaved a sigh of relief, and went up to Tsunade's office. He entered and she said, "Good you came, I think I'm going to need the Flying Raijin soon. Get ready." Raido nodded and rushed out of the room to talk to Genma.

Kakashi and Naruto stood in training ground 7, and Naruto said, "Are you sure you want it at full strength?" Kakashi nodded and said, "I want to see what the full potential of the Rasenbolt can be, now that it is thrown rather than thrust at the opponent."

Naruto nodded and a shadow clone burst out of thin air behind him. He quickly gathered a Rasengan in his right hand and the clone began pouring lightning chakra into it. As Naruto bent the Rasengan into the proper shape, it expanded, and the lightning bolt which was created became huge. Kakashi monitored the flow of chakra closely with his Sharingan, noting everything that Naruto was doing.

As the Rasenbolt achieved maximum capacity, Naruto's clone dispelled and Naruto threw the Rasenbolt towards some trees in the field, away from them. For a second, nothing happened, and then a giant explosion shook the ground. Kakashi managed to maintain his balance somehow, and said, "Holy crap, Naruto. That is some jutsu!"

Naruto nodded and said, "I even managed to throw it further this time." The two of them went over to see the damage, and Kakashi whistled. He said, "Look at the size of the crater! And everything is burnt down to the ground! Incredible!"

Naruto said, "It's really an awesome jutsu, Kakashi sensei." The white haired Jonin said, "That it is. Alright, now we need to find out some way for you to do this in a battle, extremely quickly." Naruto said, "Why?"

Kakashi face palmed and said, "Do you honestly think that your enemy will just allow you to gather chakra like this, taking so much time? They are sure to attack you while you're preparing the chakra. You need some kind of distraction that will help you create the jutsu without being accosted."

Naruto said, "I have my Shadow Clones for that, don't I, Kakashi sensei?" Kakashi said, "Sometimes, Shadow Clones are not enough. I think you should begin using the FuinJutsu skills that Master Jiraiya taught you."

Naruto scratched his head and said, "What do you mean?" Kakashi said, "You can store many things in scrolls, Naruto. Didn't you ever think about storing clones in scrolls, or even seals?" Naruto stared at Kakashi, dumbfounded. He said, "That's brilliant, Kakashi sensei!" Kakashi said, "It's actually a well-known technique, Naruto. And considering where you're coming from, you should be well aware of it."

Naruto said, "Well, I didn't have time to learn everything now, did I?" Kakashi said, "Maybe not, but there's time now. Make sure you learn how to do it, because it will save you valuable time in a fight."

The blonde nodded and said, "Thanks a lot for the tip, Kakashi sensei." The Jonin said, "Come on, let's go have some ramen. I'll pay." Naruto was ecstatic. "YOSH!"

The two of them headed over to Ichiraku's, Naruto chattering about what rules he would set for ramen shops when he became Hokage. Kakashi only half listened, keeping his ears cocked and eyes alert for any sort of activity. Suddenly a loud explosion outside the village caught their attention. Kakashi narrowed his eyes with suspicion, and Naruto said, "What the heck was that?"

Kakashi said, "Probably some sort of drill, Naruto. Let's get going, I have to go out afterwards." He noticed Naruto staring at him and began getting uncomfortable. Naruto said, "Why are you sweating all of a sudden, Kakashi sensei?"

Kakashi touched his forehead, which had become clammy, and said, "I dunno, Naruto. Maybe a little fever, or something." Naruto said, "I have an interrogator for a girlfriend now, sensei. I've picked up a few tricks from her. What are you hiding?"

Kakashi said nervously, "Well, there's no keeping anything from you, Naruto. Unfortunately, I am bound by orders from Lady Hokage, not to tell anyone below Jonin level anything about it. So, I'm sorry, but I just can't tell you." He expected an outburst from the blonde but the reply was quite astonishing.

Naruto said calmly, "Alright, sensei. It's no big deal, I was just wondering if I could do anything to help." Kakashi thought, 'Is this really the same stubborn and immature Naruto that I used to mentor?' He said, "I'm glad you understand, Naruto. And given your current status, I'm pretty sure that if there was anything you could do, Lady Tsunade would recommend you for it first. Unfortunately, this is something which she wants to steer you away from, and I certainly must follow her orders."

Naruto nodded and said, "Let's go on, then." The two of them continued walking, towards Ichiraku. Suddenly, Kakashi sensed a presence nearby, and looked up just in time to see a dark figure jumping down on top of them…


	39. Chapter 39: The Invasion Begins

**Author's Note: **What's up guys, Cannonballer here with another chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoy it, I'm about to drop dead to sleep after publishing this one. Won't take too much of your time, so Happy Reading!

**Chapter 39: The Invasion Begins**

Kakashi yelled, "Naruto, look out!" He flung a kunai at the figure, which didn't even seem to attempt to dodge it. It kept coming straight for them, and aimed an overhead kick for Naruto, who put his arms up to dodge. In a split second, Naruto was howling in pain as his left forearm shattered with the force of the kick. The figure began to press the attack, but Naruto was able to substitute out of the dire situation. The enemy's foot connected with the wall behind Naruto, which turned completely to rubble in under a second.

Kakashi thought, 'Who the hell is this? He's stronger than Lady Tsunade!' The enemy's face came into notice and Kakashi noted his face immediately. The enemy was pale skinned, with no hair, and a black nose.

The white haired Jonin stared at him warily through his Sharingan, thinking about what move to make and how it would affect the shinobi in front of him. Naruto, meanwhile, was nursing his left hand, which had begun to repair, and was wondering who this Akatsuki member was, who could best him so easily, and effortlessly.

The Asura Path smiled, so suddenly that Kakashi and Naruto both flinched. In the space of a nanosecond, the Path of Pein disappeared and reappeared in front of Kakashi, aiming a punch at his midsection. Kakashi blanched, and managed to substitute out of there just in time.

The log which replaced Kakashi was completely destroyed, with small splinters of wood falling all over the place. Naruto put his right hand up to shield himself from the splinters, but it also blocked his view from the Asura Path, which again vanished and reappeared in front of him, punching him in the ribs.

Naruto froze as he felt the impact of the punch crush his ribs and turn them to jelly; he coughed up a load of blood and fell to the floor, not yet able to register what had suddenly happened to him. The Path lifted him up and prepared to bash him to the floor, when a kunai was stuck right into its throat.

Kakashi emerged from behind the Asura Path and forced the kunai into its throat even deeper, forcing the Path to let go of Naruto, who fell onto the floor, his right hand clutching his ribs. Kakashi took a quick look at Naruto, and gauged that he would be okay within some time. He thought, 'I need to protect Naruto until then.' Just as he finished processing that thought, the man saw the Path of Pein remove the kunai from it's throat calmly, as though picking a bit of food out from his teeth.

Kakashi thought, 'What the hell? He didn't die?'

The Asura Path cracked its neck, and charged towards Kakashi again, this time extending its right arm forward into a thrusting motion. Kakashi waited until the last second, thanking the stars and Obito for his Sharingan, and then dodged, jumping upwards, and aiming a kick to the Path's head. The Path, surprisingly, allowed the kick to connect, and then smiled, as Kakashi felt a surge of pain in his feet. Kakashi lapt back on his good foot, wondering what this guy was made up of.

The Path suddenly removed his cloak, showing off a body, which seemed to be half flesh, half metal. The arms were completely made of metal, and they seemed to have several extensions to them. As Kakashi noticed all of the extensions, two of them sprang up from the Path's forearms. They were short katanas, and Kakashi began to get worried.

The Path of Pein charged again, this time aiming a dual slash at Kakashi's stomach, who began dodging in a most wild and untalented way, hoping to throw the Path off. However, he was thinking a thousand thoughts at the same time. He thought, 'That's why the guy's punches were so powerful. His arms are completely made of metal, and I'm willing to bet that his legs are the same. Now, what kind of Jutsu could combat that? Wait, that's right, Water Style!'

He jumped backwards, and the Asura Path followed him. Kakashi used the Sharingan to stop the Path in his tracks with a small GenJutsu, while watching his reactions, and planning out his next move immediately. As the Path began to immediately recover from the GenJutsu, Kakashi started signing at a speed that would impress the Fourth Hokage. He intoned, "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

A giant spurt of water raced out from his fingertips and created a menacing water dragon, which burst out and raced towards the Path, who barely managed to avoid it. The dragon hit his right arm, and then dispelled. The force of the jutsu pushed the Path back by a few feet, but did nothing major to harm him. As Kakashi looked at the damage, he realized, 'He isn't even being affected by water. I thought that the water would corrode the metal, but that isn't the case. Well, then, let's try Fire Style. How much heat can his metal resist?'

As the Asura Path ran towards him again, Kakashi signed again, and intoned, "Fire Style: Giant Fireball Jutsu!" The fireball burst out from in front of him, and the Path was completely converged in flames. Kakashi jumped back again, not wanting to get surprised by the shinobi. As the flames began to disappear, the Jonin was shocked to see the Path of Pein standing in front of him as if nothing had happened. He thought, 'Just how strong is this guy? Nothing is working on him!'

The Path of Pein grinned, as if it could sense Kakashi's confusion and worry, and began to walk over to the Jonin this time, giving him the benefit of doubt. Kakashi was getting desperate now, and started thinking of what to do next. However, just then, a loud resounding "HEY!" came up from behind the Path and he turned around, just in time to have a giant roiling ball of chakra thrust into his chest, "ODAMA RASENGAN!"

Naruto's eyes were red, and his clone was helping him, to thrust the giant sphere harder into the Path's chest. However, the Asura Path seemes unperturbed by the hole that had just opened up in its chest. As Naruto's jutsu hit maximum power, the Path was lifted off its feet, and went flying into the building behind it.

Naruto panted, partly from the effort of making a Rasengan so quickly, and partly because his ribs were not yet fully functional. The boy decided to go into his psyche quickly and said, "Hey, Kyuubi, lend me some chakra." The fox roared in anger and said, "**How dare you?! I am not a pet or servant of yours for you to come asking me for chakra. You little brat, like I would ever help you! My chakra is something rare, and amazing, and is not to be wasted on the likes of someone like you!**"

Naruto saw the Asura Path getting up and said quickly, "Look, I don't have time to argue, alright! I need your chakra, not for myself, but to defeat this guy and save the village! Would you rather have this village crumble?" The Kyuubi snorted and said, "**You know what? I don't care anymore. I am not going to help you out anymore. I won't even heal you anymore. You're on your own. I'm going into hibernation.**"

Naruto said, "You can do that?" The fox replied, "**All the Tailed Beasts can hibernate if they want. I don't give a flying shit about you any longer. I am tired of being sealed inside of you. I helped you out all this time because I thought that maybe, just maybe one day, I could be free of this rubbish. But it seems that I live with you and die with you, so I'm choosing the latter. I don't care about living anymore, because I'm living as a prisoner as it is.**"

Naruto was really frustrated now and said, "Don't you feel anything for this village? Thousands of people will die if you don't help me now! Do you really want that on your conscience? Do you think you will be able to die with that thought pressing on you?" The Kyuubi said, "**Perhaps you don't understand, Naruto, but I was created with the intention to destroy humans. Just because I am your prisoner does not entail me to do anything you ask. And I certainly don't feel anything for the people of this village. After all, they are the ones who put me inside of you. And I don't understand why even you bother to help them, to save them, when all you get from them is scathing looks, rocks thrown at you, and abuse flung your way, everywhere you go.**"

The Asura Path began to come towards Naruto, but Kakashi threw himself in between the two of them, a kunai in his right hand, and his left hand held out in a fighting stance. Kakashi said, "Naruto, I know that look. You're talking to the Kyuubi, aren't you? I'll give you some time, try something." Naruto nodded gratefully, and said, "Thanks, Kakashi sensei."

He turned back inside, and said, "Kyuubi, look. I know you're tired, and frustrated, and bored to hell. You want to enjoy the fresh air of the outside world, and don't want to be confined inside the cage. I never wanted you inside of me, ya know. I never chose this life. I'm as frustrated about it as you are. But that doesn't mean that I should simply give it up."

The Nine Tails listened, although he was not showing it. The knucklehead continued, "I know that the people of this village have never treated me well, but that is because they don't recognize the fact that I'm not a tailed beast, but a human being, just like them. The day when they recognize the fact is the day when they will finally accept me for who I am."

The Kyuubi said, "**But like I said, I don't care anymore. You do whatever you want. I've had enough of this life. I'll die soon, and another Tailed Beast will take my place. This life has no meaning.**" Naruto persisted, keeping an eye on the outside world, "Come on, Kyuubi, you can't be serious. Please help me out. Isn't there anything that will change your mind?"

The Kyuubi said, "**No, there isn't. Why should I live anymore? There's no reason. I've been trapped inside of you for sixteen years, and have no reason to spend any more time in here. I can't feel the wind in my fur, I can't enjoy the warmth of sunshine, I can't feel the warm blood of humans gushing through their flesh onto my teeth and nails, nothing. There is absolutely nothing that would change my mind right now.**"

Naruto said, "What if...what if I promise to let you out of my body after this?" The Nine Tails froze. He said, "**What? What did you just say?**"

Naruto nodded, with utmost determination. He said, "After the Akatsuki has been defeated, I will let you out of my body. You will be free forever." The Kyuubi began to laugh, a hacking laugh, which surprised Naruto. The Kyuubi said, "**Do you honestly think that I will fall for this? You'll take my power, defeat the Akatsuki and then what? Are you willng to die, just for me to be free?**"

Naruto said, "Who said anything about dying?"

The Kyuubi frowned at Naruto and said, "**Don't you remember what happened to Gaara when his Bijuu was extracted from his body?**" Naruto suddenly realized what the fox was talking about and paled. Then he suddenly nodded, and said, "I'm willing to do it. For the village. That's the sort of thing a Hokage would do, isn't it?"

The Kyuubi suddenly had a vision; a vision that the Fourth Hokage was standing in front of him, instead of Naruto. The Fourth smiled at him and extended a hand. Kyuubi stared in wonder, as the image warped back into Naruto holding his hand out to the Kyuubi and saying, "I don't believe that you are a monster. I know that deep down inside, you are good, just like me. If you help me, I will make sure to acknowledge the fact that you did, and make sure that the entire village will accept the fact that you aren't a danger, but a friend to the village."

The Nine Tails blinked; he again saw the Fourth standing in front of him, who said softly, "I'm sorry for what I had to do to you, in order to stop you, Kyuubi. I know that you weren't doing it directly, but were being controlled, but I couldn't stop the man who was pulling the strings. Please forgive me, and forgive the people who have slandered your name."

The fox blinked a couple of times, and Naruto's image returned in front of his eyes, saying, "Please, Kyuubi. You really can't believe that death is better than living." The Kyuubi said, "**You certainly have a way of talking that makes one change their feelings, don't you, teme? Alright, I'll help you. But we need to talk about this deal of being free afterwards.**" Naruto nodded, smiling happily, as the Kyuubi reluctantly began to gather chakra and pass it through the cage which separated the two of them.

Kakashi took a glancing hit from the Path of Pein and felt his left ulna shatter. He took a jump behind, trying to get some distance between the Path and himself, but it was to no avail. The Path pursued him doggedly, not seeming to tire out at all. Suddenly, Kakashi heard an explosion behind him, coming from the centre of the village, and his mind was distracted for a second, enough time for the Path of Pein to break through his defence, and destroy the Jonin's intestines, with a well-placed punch. As the white haired Jonin doubled over in pain, the Asura Path brought his knee to the man's forehead, and Kakashi was dazed. The Asura Path caught his legs and swung him around twice, before letting go.

Kakashi wheezed, as he flew behind into a building, which completely broke down into rubble. Kakashi tried and failed to get up, and thought, 'This is it for me, then? After all this time, I'm not able to do anything significant in my life? All the hopes that Rin and Obito passed on to me, all just die with me like this?' As the Path came forward, suddenly a golden figure jumped in front of Kakashi, facing the Path of Pein.

Kakashi's eyes widened as he saw the golden cloak flowing down the shoulders of Naruto. For a moment, he saw his sensei in his student's place, and then his eyes rolled upwards. He fell unconscious, and Naruto took a look behind, trying to gauge whether the man was still alive or not. The Path of Pein looked confused, trying to figure out what Naruto had done to himself.

"Kakashi sensei?"

The Jonin feebly opened his eyes, and said, "Naruto...that you?" Naruto nodded, and took Kakashi's right hand in his own. Kakashi said, "I don't...I don't think...I'm going to *cough* make it, Naruto. It's been...incredible, teaching...teaching you. I ho...hope that you become Hokage, someday, Naru..." His eyes closed, and his hand slipped from Naruto's hand, falling to the floor with a gentle thud.

Time stopped for Naruto, as he watched his sensei die in front of him. As he looked at the shinobi who had taught him so much, shared his life with him, laughed with him, fought with him, and become a part of his life, he realized that he could not let it be in vain. A quiet rage filled Naruto, as he stood up.

Kyuubi said, "**Naruto, kill that bastard.**" Naruto nodded and faced the Path with cold fury radiating from around him. The Path stared at him indifferently, and then began to charge towards Naruto again. Just as it reached Naruto, the teenager vanished and a flash of gold appeared to its right side, before a punch knocked the Path backwards. The Path flew backwards around fifty feet, before landing on the road, shaking its head. The punch which it had felt had resonated back to Nagato, who was wondering what had happened to Naruto all of a sudden.

He thought, 'I should get this over with quickly. I don't know what he's done, but the kid has become much stronger suddenly. Unless...but it can't be. He can't have control over his Bijuu, can he? Not at his age.' He made the Path stand up again, and face the teenager, who was busy whipping up a giant amount of chakra.

As the Asura Path charged again, two silver tails whipped out of the boy's body, and lashed the Path away. The force by which the Path was pushed away was so great that it flew through two buildings and landed in the third. As it cleared its head again, Nagato noticed a giant force of chakra in front of the Asura Path, and looked at it, just to see Naruto holding a giant white shuriken in his hand, at the centre of which another Rasengan spun. Naruto thrust the jutsu into the Asura Path, roaring as he did, "THIS IS FOR KAKASHI SENSEI, **TEME**! WIND STYLE: RASENSHURIKEN!"

The Path was completely destroyed, cut down to the cellular level, and Naruto pulled back from the jutsu, just in time to see the giant explosion it caused. As the smoke from the destruction cleared, the boy could see the mangled remains of the Akatsuki member. He said, "Good riddance." Then he ran at his fastest speed and got next to his teacher as soon as he could.

Tears streamed out of his eyes as he looked down at his sensei's body, spread eagled on the floor. He heard another explosion from the centre of the village and his face turned hard. He picked up Kakashi's body and took him to the Leaf hospital. Shizune was running out of the hospital when she saw the teenager walking towards the hospital, and she stopped. She said, "Naruto, is that you? What's happened to you? And who is that?"

Then she noticed and faltered. She said, "Ka...Kakashi?" Naruto put Kakashi down at the entrance of the hospital, propped up against a column, and said quietly, "They are going to pay for this. Are there more Akatsuki members in the village?" Shizune nodded, tears falling thick and fast down her cheeks. She said, "They are around the middle of the village. There's some shinobi who's got a whole load of animals summoned up there."

Naruto nodded and turned around. He said, "Take care of Kakashi sensei's body." Shizune blinked and he was gone.

The woman turned towards Kakashi, and knelt beside him. She felt his pulse, hoping against hope that maybe the elite shinobi was not yet dead. But Kakashi's hand was as cold and lifeless as could be. Shizune choked back another stream of tears, and carefully lifted Kakashi's body, around her shoulders.

Naruto raced towards the explosions that he heard, which were becoming more and more numerous. He had only one thought in his mind, 'Today, the Akatsuki will be finished.' He rounded a corner, and came face to face with a giant orange caterpillar. Naruto stopped in his tracks, and said, "Seriously?"

The caterpillar charged at him. In the space of a second, Naruto dodged the caterpillar by jumping above his head, and at the same time, his two tails extended into hands and created a Rasengan, much bigger than a regular one. Naruto yelled, "Rasengan!" The roiling orb hit the caterpillar, which was forced into the ground. The force of the Rasengan totally crushed the animal, and it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Suddenly, Naruto felt a presence behind him and turned around to face the Animal Path. The boy looked at him with loathing and the Animal Path simply stared at him. Nagato, from his abode, thought, 'So, he was able to defeat the Asura Path. Let's see how he fares against multiple opponents.' As Naruto began to charge, the Animal Path signed once, and hit the ground, intoning, "Summoning Jutsu." A huge cloud of smoke went up and Naruto stopped in his tracks, as he saw two huge dogs facing him. But the astonishing part was not that the dogs were over twenty feet high. It was the fact that they were two headed dogs.

The dogs barked, a huge sound, which resonated around the village, and Naruto thought, 'That's some nasty dogs. I better deal with them, quickly.' He decided to get a couple of his friends too, and quickly signed, "Summoning Jutsu!" Another giant cloud of smoke went up and this time, the Animal Path was stopped in his tracks, while Nagato wondered what animal Naruto had summoned.

As the smoke cleared, three giant toads stood in place of Naruto, while the boy as standing on the head of the toad in the middle. Naruto looked around and whistled. He thought, 'Boy, I hadn't expected to summon so many. How'd did that happen? Oh, wait, the fox chakra.'

Gamabunta said, "What the hell is going on, Naruto? Why've you summoned so many of us here?" Naruto said, "The Akatsuki are terrorising the village. The ninja in front of you is a summoning style user. Look at those dogs. Think you and your pals can take care of them while I go smack that guy up?"

Gamabunta snorted and said, "Course. Leave it to us. Come on, Gamaono, Gamaken. Let's take out the trash." The three of them unhooked their weapons from their holsters and charged towards the dogs, which were howling, their mouths salivating. Naruto jumped down from the Chief's head, landing right in front of the Animal Path, while Nagato stared at him in worry, wondering how much strength the boy possessed.

Naruto said, "You're going to pay, you understand? All of you."

Nagato thought, 'He knows about all the Paths of Pein?' Naruto said, "You Akatsuki freaks have been on my nerved for too damn long. I've had it up to here with your annoyance. Enough is enough." Nagato heaved a sigh of relief and signed. The Animal Path signed as well, and again incanted, "Summoning Jutsu!"

This time, instead of caterpillars or dogs, four small clouds of smoke went up, and four figures emerged out of them. Naruto took a look at them, and said, "What's with the matching hair colour?" Then he suddenly noticed. He thought, 'What the heck? They have the same eyes! All of them have those purple eyes! And even the one who I defeated earlier had the same eyes. What's up with that?'

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew up around the area, and Naruto smiled slightly. He said, "Always trying to make an entrance, aren't you?"

Jiraiya smiled and said, "You got it. Now, wait a minute. What the heck?"

Naruto said, "What happened, Pervy Sage?" Jiraiya said, "Those eyes..." The boy said, "Yeah, I kinda noticed as well. All of them have the same eyes." Jiraiya said, "Not only that, Naruto. I've only ever seen those eyes once before. And that face, I'll never forget it. Yahiko."

The Deva Path came forward and said, "Hello, Jiraiya-sensei. You haven't changed much, I see." Naruto said, "Jiraiya-sensei?" The Deva Path smiled and said, "I see you haven't told your student about your past, Jiraiya-sensei."

Jiraiya said, "Where are Nagato and Konan?" The Deva Path smiled and held his arms wide. He said, "They are around here somewhere. It's been a long time, sensei. I hope you're still as strong as you were that time." Naruto was getting irritated and said, "What the heck is going on here, Pervy Sage? Who is that? And how do you know him?"

Jiraiya raised his hand and said, "I'll answer all your questions later, Naruto. For now, let me focus on these guys. What's this, Yahiko? Why do you have the Rinnegan? And what happened to Nagato?" The Deva Path said, "You left us and ran off back to your village, when we still needed you. You left us while we were expecting you to teach us much more. We were dependent on you, but you still went away. After that, we decided to increase our ranks, and gathered up more members. We became the Akatsuki. But I don't need to tell you what happened, Jiraiya-sensei, not when you're about to die anyway."

Naruto's face turned red with anger, and in a second, he had a Rasenshuriken in his left hand. He shouted, "DON'T YOU DARE TALK LIKE THAT!" He charged at the Deva Path, who didn't even flinch. At the last moment, the Preta Path stepped in and held his hands out. Naruto's jutsu struck the man's hands.

But to Naruto's great amazement, the jutsu began to shrink and become less powerful. He thought, 'What the heck is this?' The jutsu was absolutely nullified in less than half a minute. Naruto jumped back and Jiraiya said, "That's bad. I guess we can't use NinJutsu against this guy."

Naruto said, "They're still going down. One of them killed Kakashi sensei." Jiraiya said, "What? How is that possible?" Naruto nodded, remembering Kakashi's body, and suppressing a shudder. He said, "I went berserk and killed the guy, using Kyuubi's chakra. Tell me, what about this guy, you say, Yahiko? What are his abilities?" Jiraiya said, "He used to be good in all sorts of jutsus. He never mastered most of them, but his ability was that he possessed three different chakra affinities in him. I had hoped to train him to become an elite shinobi, but I was called back by the Leaf before I could do so."

Naruto said, "You need to give me more context here, Pervy Sage. Who is this guy?" Jiraiya said, "Later, Naruto. Right now, all we need to focus on is how to defeat these guys." Then he said, "Hold on, what is this?"

But before he could say anything else, the Human Path and the Animal Path charged and Jiraiya and Naruto got ready. Jiraiya said, "I think I've seen these guys before, Naruto. Give me some time." Naruto nodded, determined to stop the Akatsuki. The two of them met the two Paths with a clash, and in a second, the Animal Path and Jiraiya went flying backwards.

Naruto said, "What the heck, Pervy Sage?" Jiraiya got up from the pile of rubble her had landed in and said, "Hoo, that guy sure packs a punch." He said, "Take care of him, I'll take your guy." Naruto nodded and switched places with him. The Human Path came forward and began attacking. Naruto realized that this guy was much stronger than the Animal Path and began fighting in earnest. As he did, he began to feel his chakra becoming lesser and thought, 'Looks like the fox isn't going to help me out anymore.'

The fox heard his thoughts and said, "**It's nothing like that. It's just that I can't send much chakra to you when I'm stuck behind this cage. I'll need some time to gather more chakra.**" Naruto thought, 'No problem.' The Human Path began to press the attack, and Naruto realized that he was at a disadvantage. He hopped back and took a scroll out of his pocket. He signed, and the scroll unsealed. Fast as lightning, the boy pressed his hand on the seal, and, a puff of smoke went up. The Human Path stopped, not sure what was happening.

As the smoke cleared, all the Paths noticed that Naruto was now no longer bare handed. He was holding a staff blade in his hand. Naruto thought, 'I really need to start using that scabbard that Ino got me.' He brandished the staff blade at the Human Path, who dodged behind.

Naruto pressed the attack this time, and got the advantage because of the reach of his weapon, forcing the Human Path to dodge continuously. Naruto swung his staff blade at the Human Path's head, who ducked on instinct. Naruto grinned, and suddenly his staff blade extended into a greenish broadsword, which he swung towards the shinobi. The Human Path hadn't expected this and was unable to fully dodge, causing it the loss of its left hand.

The Human Path jumped back, and landed behind the Naraka Path, who was now signing quickly. As he finished signing, a giant purplish head emerged from out of the ground, and opened its mouth. The Human Path quickly walked inside, and the mouth closed. A few seconds later, the Path emerged from the mouth of the head, its hand fully restored. Naruto whistled, thinking, 'That is one hell of an ability. I guess I need to take him out first, or else I can keep attacking these guys and nothing will happen to them.'

Jiraiya panted, facing the Animal Path and the Deva Path, who seemed to have joined the fray. The Deva Path said, "Not bad, sensei. You definitely seem stronger than when you left us." Jiraiya said, "What happened to you? Why are you so hell bent on destroying this village?"

The Deva Path smiled and replied, "Oh, we don't intend that at all, sensei. In fact, we weren't even going to attack the village. All we want is Naruto." Jiraiya said, "Whatever your plan is, it's not going to work, Yahiko."

The Path's smile faded, and was replaced with a look of anger. It said, "Yahiko is dead! He's dead! This is nothing but his body, used for the Six Paths Jutsu!" Suddenly, Nagato realized that he had spoken too much, and cursed himself. Before Jiraiya could think, the Deva Path held his right hand forward and said, "Almighty Push!"

Jiraiya felt himself being propelled backwards, and went flying past Naruto. He got up with a groan and said, "Naruto..." The boy, who was busy fighting both, the Naraka Path and the Human Path, created five clones and went to the old man. He said, "You alright, Pervy Sage?"

Jiraiya said, "I suddenly realized what seemed wrong. These guys, they are all dead. I've seen them all, during my time traveling around the neighbouring countries. If you swap their hair colours and their eyes, then they are all shinobi who I have met in the past. I couldn't understand before, but just now, I swear I heard Nagato's voice echo from the body of Yahiko. He said that Yahiko is dead, which made me wonder about the rest of them. It seems obvious now, Nagato is controlling these guys somehow. It's a jutsu, and no doubt, it's related with his Rinnegan."

Naruto's head was swimming. He said, "What's all this? Nagato? Rinnegan? What the heck is this?" Jiraiya said, "The Rinnegan is supposed to be a legend. It is supposed to be the Bloodline Trait or the Kekkei Genkai of the Sage of the Six Paths. I found it in Nagato when I first met him."

Naruto said, "But what does the Rinnegan do?" Jiraiya shook his head and said, "That, I don't know. It is rumoured to do so many things that I don't know anymore. But it seems that each of the abilities of the Rinnegan are equally distributed in these six people. The one over there, the guy I called Yahiko, is able to push and pull things and people. The one next to him is able to summon animals. The two which you were fighting, are still unclear. And the last guy, that fatso, seems to be able to absorb NinJutsu."

Naruto said, "That guy with the tough face is able to repair the others. I cut off the left hand of the tall guy, and that one repaired him with some weird jutsu, which causes some demonic head to come out of the ground."

Jiraiya nodded and said, "We need some help if we want to finish this." Naruto said, "No, Pervy Sage. We can't afford to drag the others into this. These guys have come here for me, haven't they? Well, I'm going to take them all out." Jiraiya said, "Naruto, even you aren't strong enough to take on all of them at once."

Naruto said, "I don't think I'll ever know without trying." Jiraiya began to argue, but the Deva Path said, "Enough talking, sensei. I gave you enough time to recover. Time to resume our match."

He spread his hands out, wider than before, and took a deep breath. Then he said, "Universal Pull!" The pervert and his student were both pulled towards the Deva Path. All of a sudden, he twisted his hands to the opposite direction, and said, "Almighty Push!"

The sudden change in inertia caused extreme discomfort to the two of them as they went flying back in the direction where they had been pulled from in the first place. Jiraiya groaned as he tried to get up, and Naruto stood up, panting.

The boy pulled up the old pervert and said, "We can't allow him to do that again, or we're gonna have a very tough time even standing up." Jiraiya nodded and said, "I have an idea." He quickly signed and said, "Summoning Jutsu!"

Two small toads emerged next to him and he said, "Hey, Lord Fukasaku, Lady Shima. I need your help." The two toads looked at him and said, "No problem, Jiraiya-boy." Fukasaku said, "What do you need?" Jiraiya said, "I need to go into Sage Mode."

Fukasaku nodded and said, "Alright, let's do it."

The two toads jumped onto Jiraiya's shoulders clapped their hands together. Jiraiya suddenly straightened up, and his fingers began to lengthen. His nose grew larger, and started getting spotty. His chin sprouted a small goatee. His eyes turned to toad-like eyes.

Naruto said, "Good idea, Pervy Sage. I'll cover you."

He signed and said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Twenty clones burst out in front of him, and all charged at the Paths of Pein. They began to attack haphazardly, in order to throw the Paths off their game. But the Paths were able to counter every attack the clones threw at them, and defeated the clones relatively easily. However, as the Deva Path looked over at the real Naruto, he saw five of them sitting with their eyes closed, meditating.

The Deva Path extended a rod of some black metal out of its cloak sleeve, and rushed over to attack. At the last moment, four of the Narutos vanished, and the real Naruto stretched his hand out and blocked the rod. He opened his eyes and Pein saw the toad like dash in them. He thought, 'That, is not good.'

As he thought that, Naruto's hand struck him in the stomach, and the Path wheezed in discomfort. Naruto got up and broke into a Frog Kumite stance. The other Paths also gathered around the Deva Path and stared at the boy. Just then, Jiraiya jumped over and stood next to Naruto.

The Deva Path said, "Impressive. I see that both of you are able to enter Sage Mode. But the question is, how long will it last?" Jiraiya said, "Long enough to bring an end to you, and find out where Nagato and Konan are."

Nagato shuddered slightly in his hiding spot, wondering how his former mentor had realized his secret. Then he thought, 'He may be bluffing. I mustn't fall for his tricks. He's still as sly as ever.'

He kept the Deva Path impassive. Jiraiya also went into the Frog Kumite stance. As the two of them stared at the five Paths, all of a sudden, a burst of gold came up in front of them, and four shinobi emerged in front of them.

"Thank you, Genma, Raido and Iwashi. I'll take it from here."

Tsunade's voice sounded clear as crystal in the silence. The three shinobi bowed slightly and took off. Tsunade said, "About time, Pein. I was wondering when you would finally show up to capture Naruto."

The Deva Path looked at her in surprise and said, "I wasn't aware that you were expecting me." Tsunade laughed and said, "Oh, I was expecting you from the last two years."

She looked behind her shoulder and said, "Why haven't you finished dealing with these jerks yet? I had expected more from the two of you." Naruto said, "They killed Kakashi-sensei."

Tsunade froze. She said, "What? What did you just say?"

Naruto nodded sadly, and then his eyes turned over to the Paths, who were all waiting for some reason. He said, "I'm going to take them all out. I would advise you to get out of the way, Grandma Tsunade." Tsunade walked towards them, and stood next to Jiraiya.

The Paths began to create a formation. The Animal Path and the Human Path stood in front, while the Preta Path stood behind them. The Deva Path was in the rear, while the Naraka Path was at the end. Naruto said, "We need to cut off the Path which heals them first. He's standing behind everyone else."

Tsunade nodded and said, "We need a distraction." The two males agreed. Then Tsunade got a better look at the Deva Path and said, "Wait a minute. Is that…Yahiko?" Jiraiya said grimly, "I'm afraid it is. He's not alive, though. He's merely a puppet. I think that Nagato's Rinnegan is what's at play here, Tsunade."

The female Sannin said, "But where is Nagato, then? Or Konan for that matter?" Jiraiya shrugged and said, "I don't know, but I sure as hell intend to find out." The Human Path charged towards Tsunade, and the Animal Path signed quickly, intoning "Ninja Arts: Summoning Jutsu!"

A swarm of wolves spread out in front of the three Leaf shinobi. Jiraiya cracked his knuckles and Naruto dropped into the new stance he had recently created, a mix of Iron Fist and Frog Kumite. The wolves snarled and ran towards the three of them.

The Human Path met Tsunade with a resounding clash, and the female was able to block his opening salvo. She quickly channelled chakra into her legs and performed a high kick, which the Path barely dodged. The Hokage quickly turned the high kick into a leap and brought her elbow down into the back of the Path, causing it to crash into the ground.

Naruto and Jiraiya each caught hold of one of the wolves' tails, and threw them into the rest of the pack. All the wolves landed in a heap, like a set of bowling pins huddled together after a strike. They got up again and began attacking. The two ninjas quickly dispatched of all of them with a combination of TaiJutsu and a flurry of Rasengans.

Jiraiya caught hold of the last wolf and hurled it at the Animal Path, which dispelled the wolf in order to save itself. Just then, the three toads which Naruto had summoned earlier came into view, and Naruto said, "It sure took you guys long enough to defeat those dogs."

Gamabunta said, "They weren't that easy to defeat, because they kept multiplying every time we killed one. But we managed to get them all somehow." Naruto nodded and Jiraiya said, "Naruto? Did you summon all three of them?" The boy said, "I was using the fox's chakra, Pervy Sage."

Jiraiya smiled and said, "I'm glad to hear that. Come one, Gamabunta and you two, we need to get rid of these guys." The three toads said, "No problem."

The Animal Path signed again and a huge cloud of smoke went up into the air. As it cleared, four animals stood in front of the Leaf shinobi. A giant panda, rhinoceros, bison and a huge bird. Jiraiya said, "Just how many creatures can this guy summon?"

Naruto said, "Guys, can you deal with those three on the ground?" The toads replied enthusiastically and charged at the summons of Pein. Tsunade had managed to throw the Human Path into one of the buildings and had completely broken it.

Jiraiya said, "One down, four to go."

Naruto smiled and said, "Two down and four to go, sensei."

The three of them quickly charged at the Paths simultaneously. Naruto suddenly said, "Why isn't anyone else in the village?" Tsunade said, "I told them to stay back. They are at the perimeter, observing the battle. They will step in if necessary. All the civilians have been extracted from the village and are safe and sound."

The Paths waited until the three of them reached close proximity. Then the Deva Path leapt above the Preta Path's head, holding his right hand out in front of him as he did so. The three suddenly felt a large pull directed towards them. Tsunade planted her feet in the ground, and the males were able to counter the pull using their Sage Mode chakra.

The Deva Path said, "I guess my Jutsu isn't going to work so well against you, isn't it?" Jiraiya said, "Why don't you just tell me what is going on, Yahiko? Why do you have the Rinnegan? And why do these people all have the Rinnegan? Did you steal them from Nagato?"

The Deva Path laughed and said, "Steal them? Why would I? And like I said, I'm already dead. I am merely a one of a group of six, known as the Six Paths of Pein." Jiraiya's eyes widened as he heard that. 'Six Paths? Does that mean that there were six of these Rinnegans? But these guys didn't have the Rinnegan when I met them before in my travels!'

He said, "I don't really understand what you mean, so I'm not going to ask again. I guess I'll just have to find out on my own." Naruto said, "Don't worry, Pervy Sage. Whatever secret these guys have, I'll help you find it." Tsunade said, "Don't you count me out, you two."

As they spoke, Naruto said, "Dammit, we let our guard down!" Tsunade said, "What do you mean, Naruto?"

The boy said, "That guy in the back. He went and repaired the one you defeated!" Tsunade said, "Gosh! I totally forgot about that one! Damn!" The Human Path came and stood next to the Animal Path again.

Naruto was getting irritated now, and said, "I'm going to take out that guy behind. Help me with a distraction, will you?" He whispered something to the two of them and they smiled.

Jiraiya kicked off his sandals and they went up in the air. Before they could touch the ground, Jiraiya was right in front of the Animal Path, and created a Rasengan six feet in diameter. He shouted, "MASSIVE RASENGAN!"

In the blink of an eye, the Animal Path was substituted with the Preta Path, which began to nullify the jutsu. Tsunade, meanwhile, had begun to attack the Human Path, who was trying its hardest to dodge the series of fast punches that came its way. Naruto created a clone with his mind, and formed a giant Rasenshuriken, which he threw straight at the Deva Path.

Nagato froze, thinking, 'He can throw it? He thrust it at the Asura Path, and at me before, so how can he suddenly throw it?' He made the Deva Path dispel the Jutsu by using the Almighty Push. But what Nagato didn't expect was the second Rasenshuriken heading his way. He thought, 'So fast! And my Deva Path's power has yet to recharge!'

He had no choice. The Animal Path came in middle of the attack and was completely annihilated. A giant explosion took place and the Paths of Pein all tried to shield themselves. As the smoke cleared, Tsunade was still fighting the Human Path, gaining some advantage with every punch, while Jiraiya was no engaged in hand to hand combat with the Preta Path. The Animal Path was dead and the Deva Path and Naraka Path were watching the scene unfold in front of them, with worried expressions on their faces.

Just then, Nagato noticed that something was missing. A loud roar went up behind him, and he turned the Deva Path around to notice the Naraka Path being shredded into pieces by Naruto's Rasenrengan. Nagato said, "NO!" Naruto himself was blasted back by the force of his Rasenrengan and only somehow managed to straighten himself before he fell to the ground.

The Deva Path was now agitated. All of a sudden, the two Paths fighting the Sannins fell to the ground, lifeless. Jiraiya and Tsunade looked at each other in confusion. Naruto panted with the amount of pressure associated with creating two Rasenshurikens and a Rasenrengan. He went back from Sage mode into normal mode.

The Deva Path began to fly into the air, so gracefully, that it almost seemed calm and serene. It hovered in the air right above the centre of the village, and stretched its hands out on both sides. It shouted at the top of its voice, "ALMIGHTY PUSH!"

For a second, nothing happened. But then, all of a sudden, the entire village seemed as though it was being pushed. Jiraiya and Tsunade picked up Naruto, who had fallen down, and jumped away from the centre of the village as fast as they could.

The entire village was pushed to the eddes by the jutsu of Pein. A giant crater opened up in the middle of the village, where only moments before, there had been a fully functioning city.

Tsunade gasped at the giant crater. She said, "Just what is this guy? He annihilated the entire village in a second!" Jiraiya looked at her with a grim expression and said, "I think we just pissed him off."

Naruto had got up, and said, "You two." The two Sannins looked at him and he said, "I'm going to take it from here. He's the only one left, and I promised myself that I would avenge Kakashi sensei." Tsunade said, "No way, he's too strong."

Jiraiya put his hand on Tsunade's shoulder and said, "He needs to do this. I would do it in a heartbeat for Sarutobi sensei." Tsunade understood how Naruto was feeling and so she said, "Alright. Naruto. But if I see an inkling of you not being able to puul it off, I'm going to send Jiraiya in." Naruto nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Just hand me a chakra pill."

Tsunade held out a vial filled with a blue liquid and said, "This is much stronger than pills. I had given you a set for your birthday, didn't I?" Naruto said, "I still need to figure out how to carry them without breaking them." Tsunade said, "Just store them in seals, baka." She handed him the vial and he drank the contents. All of a sudden, his pupils dilated, and a bluish aura extended out of him. He said, "What the hell is this?"

Tsunade smiled and said, "That should get your chakra to the max. Go and give him hell from me." Naruto jumped, and was gone in the blink of an eye.

Tsunade said, "Do you think he can do it?" Jiraiya said, "I really hope he can. I don't want to have anything to do with Pein." Tsunade said, "That's some cowardly talk from you, Jiraiya. What's come over you?" He said, "I just decided that I want to live long enough to see Naruto become Hokage."

Naruto jumped down into the centre of the crater. The Deva Path was standing in the centre, waiting for him. It said, "That was unwise of you to come down here without your mentor." Naruto cracked his knuckles and said, "You're just about to find out what happens when you irritate a Jinchuuriki. You shouldn't have messed with me."

Pein extended a rod of black metal from his hand and broke it off, holding it as a sword. Naruto took out his staff blade from his belt, where he had stashed it previously. The two of them faced each other. All of a sudden, the three toads jumped into the battlefield. Gamabunta said, "What happened, Naruto? We were fighting those animals and all of a sudden they disappeared. We turned around to see village completely crushed!"

Naruto said, "This guy did it. I'm going to take him out now. Gamabunta, thanks for your help. You should go get some rest now." Gamabunta said, "Are you freakin' kidding me, Naruto! Look at the damage this guy has done to the village! You can't take him on alone."

Naruto said, "Go, Gamabunta. I swore to avenge Kakashi sensei, and I won't be able to do it if you guys are helping me." Gamabunta suddenly realized what Naruto was talking about and said, "If this is so important to you, then so be it. Where's Jiraiya and Tsunade?"

Naruto pointed at the direction where they were, and said, "Stand by if you want. But no meddling. Promise me." Gamabunta promised, and the three toads took off. Pein said, "You have no idea what you're dealing with." Naruto said, "I could say the same about you."

A gust of wind blew around the newly formed crater, and a sole leaf began to fall down. As it touched the ground, the two shinobi charged…


	40. Chapter 40: Naruto VS Pein

**Author's Note:** *tired voice* Hey, guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys today. I know it's a little later than every other week, but I've been swamped with stuff for a while now, so I just didn't have time. Nevertheless, I have a chapter for you guys today, so enjoy, and Happy Reading!

**Chapter 40: Naruto VS Pein**

Naruto waited for Pein to swing his weapon first, which was fortunate, because the black rod not only swung at him, it also extended as it did. Naruto managed to block it somehow with his staff blade, and then decided to test the strength of the rod. He channelled his wind chakra into the staff blade, creating the broadsword, and tried to cut through the black rod.

Pein smiled and said, "That is not going to work, Naruto. My chakra receiver can withstand heavy damage, and is extremely durable. It will not be destroyed so easily." Naruto said, "Lucky for you, or this fight would be over before it began."

Pein was surprised by the boy's confidence and said, "You're not what I expected after hearing Itachi's reports. He described you as ignorant and weak. I suppose two years can change people a lot." Naruto said, "You know what? I've just about had it with all of your talking. Now shut your mouth and die."

The boy let go of his staff blade, so quickly that Pein was not able to anticipate what he would do next. Naruto aimed a low punch at Pein's abdomen, and when the Deva Path jumped up to avoid it, he turned the punch into a backhand slap and quickly tagged the Rinnegan user's leg.

The Deva Path stared at Naruto in confusion, who said, "You might as well quit now, you're dead anyway." Pein looked down at his leg in curiosity and then looked back at the boy, saying, "A FuinJutsu seal? What does it signify?" Naruto smirked and said, "Your demise."

Just then, Pein's eyes glowed and Naruto felt himself being held in a master lock. He gasped involuntarily. The Deva Path said, "Did you honestly think that I was still alone?" Naruto felt his chakra begin to drain and realized that the Preta Path was absorbing his chakra.

He said, "Clever. I thought that you killed the other two off in order to increase your own power. It was a bluff, wasn't it?" The Deva Path said, "Very good, but only partly correct. I did cut off their power to amplify mine, but only temporarily. You see, the more I use my power, the more time it takes to recharge it."

The knucklehead said, "Too bad that it didn't work out as smoothly as you hoped." Nagato was now confused with Naruto's words and said, "I fail to understand what you mean." Naruto smiled and replied, "What are you going to do now? How are you going to capture me?" The Deva Path replied, "Well, I assume you've realized that you've already been captured?"

Naruto said, "Oh, you think this is capturing me?" He closed his eyes and began to gather nature energy. The Deva Path noticed what he was doing and said, "You don't get it, do you? No matter how much energy you gather, my Preta Path can absorb it!"

Naruto opened his eyes, and said with a look of grim determination, "That's what I'm counting on." Pein froze, and Naruto kept pumping nature energy through his body, which was rapidly being absorbed by the Preta Path.

Suddenly, the Preta Path's face began to bulge. Naruto heard the familiar noise and grinned in triumph. The Preta Path's hands and feet began to become webbed and large, and tore out through its gloves and shoes. They started turning a dark green in colour.

The Deva Path said, "What is this? What's happening?" Naruto said, "I didn't expect you to know, so I'll tell you. Nature energy is extremely difficult to handle. It took me three weeks to master it. Do you think it is so easy becoming a Sage? It takes a lot of time to even sense nature energy for most people. And to handle the perfect amount, it takes even more time, since you turn into a stone toad if you intake too much."

The Preta Path let go of Naruto, stopping the chakra flow, but the damage was too great to prevent anymore. As the Deva Path and Naruto looked on, the Preta Path was completely turned into a stone toad. Naruto turned back towards Pein, this time keeping an eye on the other remaining Path of Pein, which was still lying on the ground. Pein sighed and signed. The Human Path woke up and came to stand next to him.

The Deva Path said, "I don't expect you will fall for the same trick again, so I might as well go all out." The Human Path and Deva Path both attacked simultaneously. Naruto began dodging the attacks, using Frog Kumite, mixed with his mom's invented fighting style.

The Deva Path and Human Path took Naruto on a fine trip all around the crater, trying to cave him in. Naruto kept dodging, using all his tricks that he had learnt on his trip with Jiraiya. The old sage watched from atop Gamabunta's head, saying, "Ha! He's sure doing well right now." Tsunade said, "Those are your moves, Jiraiya. Did you teach him everything you know in two years?"

Jiraiya said, "Well, I've kept a few of them secret. But he learns extremely quickly because of his Shadow Clones." Tsunade nodded and the two of them continued to watch the fight.

The Kyuubi suddenly said, "**Naruto, I've gathered enough chakra. Here you go.**" Naruto said quickly, "Not yet, Kyuubi. I'll need your chakra, but in a few moments. Can you hold it till then?" The Kyuubi growled at being told what to do, but agreed.

Naruto thought, 'Just a few moments, not much longer now…' He quickly jumped back and the Human Path came in to punch him, and Naruto said, "NOW!" The Kyuubi passed on the chakra to Naruto and he suddenly burst in an aura of golden chakra, his golden cloak reappearing around him.

Before the Human Path could stop itself, it came right in the path of the massive Rasengan that Naruto had created in under a nanosecond. The entire ground burst with a giant explosion, and the Deva Path jumped back to avoid getting caught in the aftermath of the blast.

Naruto grinned as he felt the power of the Nine Tails wash over him again, and looked at the Deva Path with slitted eyes. Nagato thought, 'This is not good. He took out all of my Paths, and my Deva Path is not yet fully powered up. I need a plan.'

But before he could do anything, Naruto disappeared, and reappeared right in front of him, arm swinging out in a giant punch, enhanced by the Kyuubi's chakra. Holding the Deva Path's hand out in a cross in front of itself was all that Nagato could do to try to block the attack. The body of Yahiko went flying from the force of the attack and landed around a hundred feet away.

Nagato was extremely worried now, and said, "This is getting ridiculous. I hadn't expected to go down so easily. I thought, maybe one or two Paths at most, but all five of them?" Konan said, "What now, Nagato? Are you going to retreat?"

Nagato said, "Not yet. I still have Sasuke. Find him, and bring him back. I need him to lower Naruto's defences. Where did he run off to?" Konan said, "He said something about Itachi being nearby and ran off before the Zetsus or I could stop him. He's pretty fast, too, so I decided not to go after him and waste my chakra."

Nagato said, "I'll retreat to outside the village for now. Which direction did Sasuke head in?" Konan replied, "South-east."

Nagato immediately signed and the Deva Path got up, unsteadily. Naruto charged in, but the Path jumped high in the air, and Nagato poured more power into him, allowing the Deva Path to fly again.

The Rinnegan user coughed up a gallon of blood, wheezing with the effort of giving the Deva Path so much of his power. Konan was startled and began to come over to him, but Nagato said, "No need, Konan. I will be alright. The important thing is to get Yahiko's body out of there."

Naruto began giving chase to the Deva Path, who had begun flying out of the crater, towards the forest surrounding the Leaf village. Nagato kept Naruto guessing his location in order to get a bit of time to recuperate.

Sasuke ran after Itachi, as the older Uchiha tried to get out of sight. Sasuke shouted, "Stop and fight me like a man!" Itachi looked behind and said, "I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I don't have time for you right now. There are bigger things to worry about."

Sasuke said, "Are you fleeing because Pein is here? Are you afraid that he will capture you?" Itachi laughed and continued running, while saying, "Pein is not going to come after me, not when he's having the fight of his life against Naruto Uzumaki." Sasuke was confused and said, "How do you know this?"

Itachi said, "Did you think that the Akatsuki are the only people in the world with spies everywhere?" The raven haired boy said, "Stop and fight!" Itachi stopped abruptly and said, "Look, Sasuke, much as I would like to fight, I can't right now. I have some duties to perform, much as I would like to test your strengths again."

Sasuke charged at him, forming a Chidori in his right hand as he did. At the last moment, Kisame appeared out of nowhere and held the younger Uchiha's hand, saying, "Didn't you hear him, kid? He doesn't want to fight right now."

Sasuke smirked and said, "I don't think he has a choice." Itachi sighed and said, "Sasuke, I will fight you when the time is right. As of now, I need to be someplace else, and you should go back. And a word of advice, leave the Akatsuki. They are not who they seem to be. They will use you and if you aren't needed anymore, they will kill you with no second thought."

Sasuke said, "As if I care. All I care about is killing you and getting my revenge." Kisame let go of the boy's hand and Sasuke jumped back. Itachi said, "One day, you will realize what I did and why I did it. Then, when you know the full story, you will no longer pursue me." Sasuke said, "Well, why don't you tell me the story now?"

Itachi said, "You are not yet old enough to understand. Your mind is yet too fragile. Your vengeful thoughts will not allow you to think rationally. Once you become mature enough, I will tell you everything you need to know. Know this, though. The Leaf village is your true home, and no matter what you do, you cannot change that fact. If you have even a little bit of self-respect, go back to the village. Leave the Akatsuki and return home."

Sasuke shrugged and said, "It's too late now. I am a criminal, with a bounty on my head. No doubt the major villages have already learnt that I have joined the Akatsuki. And do you think that the Leaf village will accept me with open arms after all that has happened?"

Itachi said, "No doubt it will take time, but they will welcome you back. They'll probably keep you under surveillance for a while, but you'll be able to return to a normal shinobi life, Sasuke. And as your elder brother, I need you to know that everything I did was for a reason, a reason which you will know in time."

Sasuke shook his head stubbornly and said, "Until I know the reason, I will not head back to the Leaf village." Itachi sighed in disappointment and said quietly, "You still have a lot to learn about the shinobi world." He disappeared, and Kisame smiled his razor sharp smile, and said, "I'd listen to Itachi if I were you, kid. He's probably forgotten more about the shinobi world than you have ever learnt."

Kisame took to the trees, leaving Sasuke to his thoughts. All of a sudden, a nearby explosion rocked the forest, and shook Sasuke out of his reverie. He turned towards the source of the explosion just in time to see the Deva Path of Pein falling towards him. He quickly caught the man and righted him up. Naruto came running towards where the Deva Path had fallen and said, "Come back and fight, you coward. Quit running!"

Both the teenagers looked at each other at the same time. Naruto froze as he saw his best friend standing right in front of him, supporting the Deva Path, and Sasuke stared stolidly at his friend, wondering what Naruto had done to himself to turn golden in colour. Nagato grinned weakly in triumph and said, "Jackpot." Konan smiled and said, "Do you think they will fight each other?"

Nagato said, "I don't know about Naruto, but Sasuke will, if I order him to." Konan said, "Then do it. We need to keep Yahiko's body safe, and the only way to do that now is to keep Naruto busy." Nagato nodded. The Deva Path looked at the boy and said, "Sasuke, will you take care of Naruto for me? I need some time to recuperate. He is proving to be quite troublesome." Sasuke nodded, much to Naruto's amazement.

Naruto said quietly, "So, Sasuke, you really joined the Akatsuki, huh?" Sasuke said, "I didn't have much of a choice. In order to hunt Itachi down, I swore that I will do whatever it takes." Naruto said, "You know, I still havent' given up the promise I made to Sakura to bring you back." Sasuke laughed and said, "That stupid thing again? Naruto, didn't I tell you to stop wasting your time with me? I am an avenger, and I don't have any time for you or the stupid village."

Naruto had a Rasengan ready in his hand by the moment Sasuke finished saying the last word. He said, "I don't care what you think about me. But don't you dare talk smack about the village, teme!" Sasuke began forming a Chidori, wondering how Naruto had progressed to making a Rasengan so quickly and in just one hand, without a clone.

Naruto said, "You really have fallen, Sasuke. If you have even the slightest bit of self-respect, come back to the village." Sasuke suddenly remembered Itachi's words and thought, 'They think the exact same way. Well, the only difference is that one of them slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan and the other is the host to the demon which almost destroyed the Leaf village.'

The Deva Path, meanwhile, was slinking off towards the mountain where the real Nagato and Konan were hiding. Naruto, whose eyes were totally focused on Sasuke, didn't notice him disappearing into the shadows. Sasuke said, "I don't have anything more to say to you, Naruto. You really are a fool."

He charged at the boy, who waited calmly. Just as Sasuke was about to reach Naruto, he held his hand out, and stopped the raven haired boy's jutsu cold. Sasuke froze; he hadn't expected anyone to be able to stop him now. Naruto said, "You really don't have any idea what I'm been doing in the last three years. I have become stronger than anyone else in the village now. You cannot defeat me, no matter how hard you try. So, I'm just going to say this, come back home, Sasuke. I promise you that I myself will help you track down Itachi."

Sasuke snorted and said, "You? Stronger than anyone else in the village? Do you take me for a fool, dobe? And as if I would need your help to track down Itachi?" Naruto said, "Oh yeah? How much time did it take you to track him down, huh? And how many times were you beaten by him, humiliated by him, left alive simply because you were beneath him? He could have killed you several times till now. Don't you ever wonder why he left you alive each time?"

Sasuke went cold and thought, 'Naruto does have a point. Why would Itachi leave me alive everytime after all the times I have fought him? He always said that he was testing me, yet he fought me tooth and nail, only to defeat me and keep me alive for the next time. I never thought that he had a reason, only thought that he was mocking me.'

Naruto let go of Sasuke's hand and said, "Come back, Sasuke. We are all waiting for you. Kakashi sensei is no more. Pein killed him." Sasuke's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Kakashi's death. He felt a slight sadness in his heart that he hadn't thought existed. He said, "What did you just say?" Naruto looked at his feet sadly and said, "It's true. I was there and couldn't do anything about it at the time. I have to avenge him, Sasuke, and the only way to do so is to kill Pein. Which reminds me, where the hell is he?"

Sasuke looked around, only to see that Pein had vanished. He said, "If what you say is true, we have a temporary truce. I will help you avenge Kakashi. In return, you will help me find Itachi. I won't return to the village until I avenge my clan. Deal?" Naruto said, "But how will I pass any knowledge to you if I don't know where you are?" Sasuke said, "Don't you worry about that. I asked, Deal?"

Naruto nodded his head in determination and said, "Deal." Sasuke said, "Now, I remember Zetsu saying that Pein had arrived at some sort of mountain. We should go there." Naruto shook his head and said, "Hold on to my hand, I know where Pein is."

Sasuke frowned and said, "Why should I hold your hand?" Naruto said, "I can take you with me to Pein that way." Sasuke shrugged and held his hand out. Naruto took his hand and the two of them vanished.

Naruto and Sasuke reappeared in a dark place and Naruto saw the body of Yahiko right in front of him, lifeless. He said, "What the heck is this?" Just then, a kunai hit him on his right arm, and he reared back in pain. Sasuke noticed the direction of the kunai and saw Konan standing there with a red haired man, who was inside a machine.

Naruto plucked the kunai out of his bicep, and said, "Who are you?" Konan said, "How did you know where we were? And how did you make it here, without triggering any of my alarms?" Naruto said, "Sorry, I can't tell you that." He noticed the man in the machine and said, "Are you Nagato?"

The Rinnegan user said, "Indeed I am. How do you know?" Naruto said, "Well, Pervy Sage kept talking about a Nagato and Konan, along with Yahiko. I know that this orange haired guy is Yahiko, so I figured that you two must be the other two guys he was talking about."

Sasuke said, "Is it true that you killed Kakashi Hatake?" Nagato nodded and said, "He tried to kill me, so I did what I had to." Sasuke said, "And what about this guy? The one who is unconscious on the ground?" Nagato said, "Well, you've seen me anyway, so I can't hide it from you anymore. I am Nagato, possessor of the Rinnegan. This is Konan, my long time teammate and friend. And that on the floor, is Yahiko, my best friend."

Sasuke said, "Alright. Why do the two of you have the same eyes?" Nagato said, "He is dead. He died in the attack by Hanzo, the then leader of the Rain village. I reanimated him with my jutsu of the Six Paths, along with five others. Together, they are the Six Paths of Pein."

Naruto said, "But why do they all have the Rinne...whatever it is?"

Nagato said, "That is the special ability of the Rinnegan. I can create the Six Paths of Pein, and distribute my powers among them. The abilities, which include summoning various animals, absorbing NinJutsu, gaining intel about people by sucking their soul out of their bodies, repairing others using the King of Hell realm, manipulating gravity, and using mechanical machinery for battle. I myself am crippled due to summoning the husk of the Ten Tails in the battle against Hanzo, and so I need this machine in order to sustain myself."

Konan said, "What are you doing, Nagato? Why are you telling them all this?" Nagato coughed and said weakly, "I am about to die anyway, Konan. What does it matter anyway?" Konan said, "What do you mean? I won't let you die." Nagato smiled and said, "That is brave of you, but Naruto has already shown the amount of tremendous power he possesses. Taking down all five of my Paths by himself was the wake up call that I needed to know that my end is near. And now he stands in front of us, ready to kill me." Konan said, "I will not allow him to even touch you. Naruto, if you want to kill Nagato, you shall have to kill me first!"

Naruto said, "Aren't you Pervy Sage's students?" Both Nagato and Konan froze. Nagato said, "What do you mean be that?" Naruto said, "How can you be so evil if you are his students?" Nagato said, "I am trying to cure this world. I am triyng to rid it of pain." Naruto said, "I kinda think you're doing the other thing, Nagato."

He continued, "You just destroyed the entire village. Do you honestly think that you can rid the world of pain in this manner?" Sasuke listened intently, as did Konan. Nagato said, "It is a small sacrifice in order to bring peace to this world." Naruto said, "And how do you plan to bring peace to the world, huh?"

The red haired man said, "I plan on creating a GenJutsu, so large that the entire world will fall under it. I will use the GenJutsu to bring an end to all the wars, all the differences in the world." Naruto said, "I see. And how long will this GenJutsu last?" Nagato said simply, "Forever."

Naruto said, "So, in short, you will take away the free will of all the people in the world in order to achieve peace? What is the meaning of living in a world like this, where no person has their own will to think, to make decisions, to understand what they are doing and why they are doing it?" Nagato said, "Do you have any other alternative to peace?"

Naruto said, "Not as of now, but I do believe that one day, all people will be able to understand the feelings in each other's hearts, and that is the day when the world will know true peace." Nagato laughed, and then coughed violently. He said, "Your's is a child's dream, Naruto. The people in the world can never know peace until they are guided by a force greater than themselves."

Sasuke suddenly cut in, "No one can know that. You cannot know that. You cannot decide the future of the world without knowing what is going to happen to it shoud you fail." Nagato said, "Have you chosen the other side, Sasuke?" The boy shook his head and said, "I am just interested in Naruto's idea, more than yours. You cannot take away the will of everyone in order to achieve peace, that makes no sense. It will be like a world where everyone is a zombie."

Nagato said, "Whatever it takes to achieve true peace, I will do it." Naruto said, "You know, Pervy Sage said that he had tried to make Yahiko an elite shinobi. I guess that the same goes for the two of you as well. I wonder where he went wrong in order for you guys to believe that true peace can only be achieved by taking away people's freedom."

Nagato said, "Like I said before, do you have a better plan?" Naruto said, "I told you, peace will come one day if we all work towards it together. It will be tough and will take a lot of time as well, but it will be achieved. And when it is, then the world will have peace with everyone understanding the concept of peace."

Nagato said, "How can you possible believe that? How can you believe that everyone will work towards peace? There are people out there who will not be happy to work with others, who will not want peace." Naruto said, "Then, don't you think that rather than attacking innocent people, you would be better off weeding out such people and eliminating them? I will try my hardest to bring peace to the country, because that is my Ninja Way, just like it is Pervy Sage's."

Nagato thought, 'This boy is something different. I wonder...could he be right? Have I been looking at this the wrong way the entire time?Can true peace be achieved without force? What if Madara-sama is wrong?' Naruto said, "You don't need to do this, Nagato. As a fellow student of the same teacher, I feel that it is my duty to try and steer you back to the right path."

Nagato looked at Konan, who was listening to Naruto with her full attention. He thought about what he done so far, and realized the amount of lives he had destroyed until now. He said, "I...I believe you, Uzumaki Naruto. I will give your dream a chance to become a reality. However, what if you do not succeed?"

Naruto smiled and said, "Then I will pass on my dream to as many as I can and ask them to try and fulfil it for me. After all, this may take more time than one lifespan." Nagato looked at the determination in the boy's eyes and smiled. He said, "Alright, Uzumaki Naruto. As your sibling student, I will hope that you can do this. I will now right the wrongs that I have done so far. Best of luck, Naruto. Give Jiraiya-sensei my regards."

He signed and the Deva Path got up. The Deva Path started signing and Naruto said, "What are you doing?" Nagato said, "I have split my life force into seven parts, one for myself, and the rest for each of the Six Paths. Five of them are already dead, so I am killing off the sixth in order to do something that I believe will help the village."

Naruto said, "What is that?" Nagato held up his hand and stopped him, saying, "Allow me to focus." The Deva Path continued signing for a full minute, and then suddenly said loudly, "Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Jutsu!"

Suddenly, a noise outside the place where they were brought Naruto's and Sasuke's attention to it. They said, "What's happening?" Konan said sadly, "Nagato is using the King of Hell's realm to give back life to those who have died recently in the attack of the village. He does so at the cost of his soul. Luckily, he himself will not die, because he is using the part of his soul inside the body of Yahiko."

Nagato kept up the jutsu, and Konan raised her left arm, pointing it at a wall. Suddenly, the wall began to fall to pieces and Konan said, "I made this tree of paper in order to camouflage us, but it didn't work because of whatever jutsu you used to track us, Naruto."

The two teenage shinobi walked over to the edge of the wall and looked at the village from atop a the mountain where they were standing. They saw a giant creature in the center of the village, and a stream of green beams were being shot out of the creature. A few seconds later, the creature went into the ground, and disappeared.

Naruto and Sasuke turned around to see the Deva Path's hair turn white, and its skin turn gray. It collapsed to the ground, and fell lifeless. Nagato and Konan were both in tears, and Nagato said, "Goodbye, my dear friend."

All of a sudden, the body got up, and Nagato and Konan froze in shock and fear. Yahiko turned towards them and smiled weakly. He said, "You...you have no idea how much I've waited for this, Nagato." Konan said, "Yahiko? How is this possible?"

Nagato said, "This can't be happening." Yahiko said, "Don't worry, I am not alive. The thing is, your jutsu of the Six Paths brings back a portion of the soul of the person whose body you are re-animating. You just didn't know it. And now that your part of soul which was in my body is no more, I have gained control over my body for a few moments, before my soul is sent back to the afterlife. I must say, Nagato, I've never seen you in such a bad shape. You look like that scrawny dog we found in the Rain village when we were kids, remember?"

Konan burst into tears and went and hugged Yahiko. He said, "Now, now, Konan. I hadn't expected this reaction from you. After all, you always loved Nagato, didn't you?" Konan said, "You were still a friend of mine. I always felt horrible, thinking that I was the reason that you died." Yahiko shook her shoulders and said, "Don't say that. You were not the reason. None of us could have anticipated that Hanzo would use you in order to kill me."

Nagato said, "I am so sorry, Yahiko." The now white haired man turned over to him and said, "I am sorry, Nagato. Forgive me for not being strong enough to protect our people." Nagato said, "No, Yahiko. You were the leader of our group. You should not have been the one to sacrifice yourself. If I hadn't been so weak and slow at that time, then you would still be with us."

Yahiko laughed and said, "But I still am with you guys. In there." He pointed at Nagato's heart and then said, "As long as I am in there, nothing can separate me from the two of you." His body began to glow, all of a sudden. He said, "I guess my time is up now. I hope that the two of you can help Naruto here in his quest for peace. I'm going to be watching from above, so don't you dare come up there immediately."

Suddenly, Yahiko's body crumpled to the floor and his soul began to float upwards. He waved them goodbye, and went up into the skies. Konan and Nagato looked up until they couldn't see him anymore, and then looked at Naruto. The leader of the Akatsuki said, "If it's alright with you, Naruto, could you ask the Hokage if she has some room in her village for two criminals?" Naruto said, "You mean..."

Nagato nodded and said, "I am not going to leave you so easily. I am going to keep an eye on you and make sure that you fulfil this dream of Jiraiya-sensei that I share." Naruto smiled and said, "Good, because I will need help." Nagato said, "Wait a minute, where's Sasuke?"

Naruto looked around to see that Sasuke had disappeared. He closed his eyes and began to sense around him. He suddenly found Sasuke running all out, towards the boundary of the Land of Fire. He shook his head in disappointment and said, "It seems that Sasuke is not going to come back to the village, after all."

He turned towards the two ex-students of Jiraiya and said, "How will you come with me? You need to get out of that machine." Nagato nodded and said, "Now that I don't have any Paths of Pein active, I don't need this machine anymore. It is required to keep me alive when I am under pressure." As Nagato spoke, Naruto felt the fox's chakra begin to recede. He popped into his psyche and said, "Thanks a lot, Kyuubi. I couldn't have done this without you." The Kyuubi snorted in pride and said, "**Of course you couldn't. Now, get out and see to those two.**" As Naruto went out of his psyche, however, he could have sworn that the Kyuubi had given a small smile.

He slowly got out of the machine, and Konan helped him stand. Naruto said, "I hope that you guys are able to enter the village without any trouble. I'll be with you throughout the way, but I don't expect that people will allow you to enter so easily if they find out who you are."

Nagato said, "That would be unfortunate. I don't suppose you can take us directly to the Hokage, then? You were able to bypass all of Konan's traps and make it here, weren't you?" Naruto said, "Oh yeah! I totally forgot about that! No problem. Hold on." He quickly went and supported Nagato. He said, "Konan-san, hold Nagato-san's hand. We need physical contact for this." Konan blushed slightly, but held Nagato's hand nevertheless.

The three of them disappeared and reappeared on top of a pile of rubble, right in front of the Hokage Monument. Naruto was confused for a moment, before he realized why he hadn't reached the Ninja Ops. He said, "You destroyed the village, Nagato. The Ninja Ops building is nothing but this pile of stone here." Nagato said, "I am extremely sorry for what I did." Naruto said, "It's alright, but now we need to find you a safe spot and get Grandma Tsunade there. Why don't you go up to the Hokage faces and wait there? There's a safe spot inside the faces, where the civilians are evacuated in times of an attack."

Konan nodded and said, "I'll take Nagato up there." Naruto bid them farewell and went off in search for the Hokage. Just then, he saw a large crowd around one of the edges of the village, and decided to go take a look. As he went into the crowd, he saw a few people standing in front, and to his astonishment, he saw...

"KAKASHI SENSEI!"

The white haired Jonin looked at him with some alarm, but Naruto didn't care. He flung himself at his teacher and pulled him into a bearhug. The Jonin allowed the knucklehead to hug him, before saying, "Naruto, I'm still a little weak. Do you mind allowing me to breathe?" Naruto said, "You're alive! How?"

Kakashi said, "I don't know, myself. The last thing I remember is you standing in front of me, with a golden cloak, and golden aura around you. Then I wake up and I'm lying on the ground." Tsunade said, "This is something miraculous."

Naruto suddenly said, "Oh, wait. I know how this happened! It was Nagato! He did it." Tsunade said, "What? You met Nagato?" Naruto nodded enthusiastically and said, "He's in one of the Hokage Faces right now. I told him and Konan to wait while I searched for you."

Tsunade roared, "YOU DID WHAT!" Without further ado, she was off, running as fast as she could. Kakashi said, "You better go after her, Naruto. Who knows what could happen in there without you." Naruto nodded and said, "If you see Pervy Sage anywhere, please tell him to come to there as well."

Kakashi said, "Will do. Go now, before Lady Tsunade reaches there and does something irrational." Naruto smiled and said, "She can have all the headstarts in the world and I'll still reach there before her." Kakashi smiled as he remembered and said, "Alright then."

Naruto gave him a two fingered salute and then vanished. Kakashi headed back to Shizune, who was passing out medicines, in order to take the medicine which Tsunade had told him. He thought, 'Naruto, you really are a wonder.'

Naruto reached the Hokage Face of the First Hokage to see Nagato sleeping on a bed which seemed to be made of paper. Konan was sitting next to him pensively. She looked at Naruto and sighed in relief. She said, "I was so sure that someone was going to come in and fight us, Naruto. Thank God that you made it back quickly." Naruto said, "Grandma Tsunade is coming back."

As he spoke, the secret door leading to the Face burst open with a bang. Tsunade entered in, and looked around. When she saw Naruto standing there, she was only mildly surprised. She noticed Konan and Nagato on the sofa and said, "What are you two doing here?" Nagato had woken up with the sound of the door. He said, "Greetings, Tsunade-san."

Naruto said, "Nagato and Konan-san want to migrate to the village."

Tsunade said, "What? Are you serious?" Nagato nodded and said, "Naruto has made me realize the errors of my way. I have decided to help him achieve Jiraiya-sensei's dream of achieving peace." Konan said, "And I follow Nagato wherever he goes."

Just then, the door burst open again, and Jiraiya came in. He took one look at Nagato and his knees went weak. He said, "I can't believe that it really is you." Nagato said, "It's been a long time, sensei." Jiraiya said, "Not that long. You were just trying to kill me, remember?" Nagato hung his head down in shame and Konan tried to change the topic, saying, "Remember me, sensei?" Jiraiya went and gave her a hug. He said, "How could I forget, Konan? I had told you that you would grow up to be a beautiful woman." He then hugged Nagato as well, and said, "You, on the other hand, look like that dog that you three had found in the Rain village."

Nagato smiled and said, "That's exactly what Yahiko said." Jiraiya said, "What do you mean? Yahiko is alive?" Nagato shook his head and said, "According to him, my jutsu of the Six Paths allows portion of his soul to return to his body. He was able to briefly take control of his body after I burned the part of my soul inside his body to perform the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu."

Tsunade said, "The Rinne Rebirth? That means you really were the one to bring back all those people back to life?" Nagato said, "I hope so. Naruto made me see how wrong I was. Jiraiya-sensei, I want to help him now. I want to become a Leaf shinobi."

Tsunade said, "First of all, you need medication."

Jiraiya said, "Yeah, that's right. We should get you to the hospital to check up on your health. You look like you might fall to pieces at any moment right now." Tsunade said, "We can't. There is no hospital anymore. We'll need to take him to the Uchiha estate and get a house opened up there. It's the only area that hasn't been damaged." Jiraiya nodded and helped Konan and Naruto lift Nagato up, supporting him. Tsunade and Jiraiya walked with them, Jiraiya asking them about what had happened to them after he had to leave.

Naruto, Jiraiya and Tsunade listened intently as Konan recounted the tale of the three of them. They told the Sannins how they had begun taking missions in the Rain village and how it had attracted Hanzo's attention. How he had kidnapped Konan in order to draw out Yahiko and Nagato, along with the rest of the original Akatsuki. How Yahiko took his own life by plunging himself into the kunai which Nagato was holding. How Nagato had gone berserk with rage and summoned the husk of the Ten Tails, and then proceeded to kill everyone in rage. How Hanzo had barely escaped, and how Nagato had used the Six Paths of Pein to assassinate him.

Tsunade cut in, "So does that mean that you are in control of the Hidden Rain village?" Konan said, "Unofficially, yes." Tsunade said, "Interesting." Jiraiya said, "What are you thinking, Tsunade?" The Hokage said, "The Rain is a heavily fortified village. It is a neighboring country to the Land of Earth as well as the Land of Wind, in addition to our land. Acquiring such a country would be extremely advantageous to our village and our country."

Jiraiya said, "How about we worry about politics later, Tsuna. We need to get Nagato treated first." Tsunade said, "Alright, alright. Let's get him to the estate quickly." They reached the estate and found Kakashi standing there. He said, "I saw you guys were heading here, so I came along as well. I wanted to see Pein's real form." Nagato said, "I am sorry for what I did, Kakashi." The white haired Jonin said, "It's alright. Thanks to you, I was able to talk to my father."

Nagato said, "Your father?" Kakashi said, "My father was known as the White Fang of the Hidden Leaf village. He committed suicide because he was abused by the village for saving the life of his comrades instead of completing a mission." Nagato said, "That is certainly admirable. I cannot imagine how someone would abuse him for doing something so noble." Kakashi said, "That's what I asked him when I saw him. He told me not to live by anyone else's rules, and to always do what my heart told me to."

The group had reached inside the estate by now and Tsunade quickly opened one of the houses nearby, with one punch on the lock of the door. They took Nagato in and let him lie on the floor. Konan made another paper bed and the woman along with Naruto lifted him onto the bed. Naruto said, "What are you going to do, Grandma Tsunade?" The Hokage said, "I am going to repair all the body damage that he has suffered. After that, I'll try to have his body weight increased with some supplements. Go out and wait until I call you in. All of you." Naruto, Konan, Kakashi and Jiraiya walked outside the house and waited there. Naruto said, "Well, Kakashi sensei. I'm glad that you're not dead."

Kakashi said, "I am, too. I guess I should get going, Naruto. I'll see you around, eh?" Naruto nodded and said, "I'll tell you what happens." Kakashi gave him his eye smile and then vanished in a puff of smoke. Konan said, "So, Naruto. Tell me, how are you so strong?"

Naruto said, "Well, I wouldn't exactly say strong." Konan said, "Stop being modest. Nagato was relaying all the information from the battle to me." Naruto said, "It really was the Kyuubi's chakra that helped me, ya know. I wouldn't have been able to pull this off without him. He's really something else. I wonder if someday we could become friends."

From inside his psyche, the Kyuubi thought, '**Naruto...thinks that I'm something else? He wants to be my friend? What's up with this boy? Why does he constantly make me feel like...like I'm more than just a Tailed Beast? What goes on in that mind of his?**'

Konan and Naruto kept talking until a call from Tsunade came floating out of the door. Jiraiya noticed it and told the other two. The two of them stood up as the doors opened. Tsunade smiled and said, "He's going to be fine. I've removed all the chakra receivers rather than him trying to do it himself. I've also given him some supplementary medication which will help him gain some instant weight and energy. All that remains now is for him to rest and eat properly. He'll be fine in around two months. I'll also have some more medicines sent for him. Now, we need to think about where the two of you can live." She told Konan and Jiraiya to come in. They left Naruto fuming outside, at being ignored.

Jiraiya said, "How about the barracks, until they can get a room of their own?" Tsunade said, "Even the barracks have been destroyed, Jiraiya. I was thinking of opening up another house, or this one in the Uchiha estate." Jiraiya said, "Are you sure about this?" She nodded and said, "They would find out eventually." She turned to Konan and said, "Itachi and Kisame are living in the Uchiha estate. They have become regular shinobi, and are under our protection. Itachi was an undercover agent in the Akatsuki."

Konan said, "I see. That is a good thing. I always felt that Itachi looked far too nice to be a criminal. But why did he leave the Akatsuki all of a sudden?" Tsunade said, "Have you heard of the Root organization?" Konan nodded and said, "Run by Danzo, the Root is the unofficial ANBU of the village. Any dirty work that the Leaf wants to get done, they get it done from the Root."

Tsunade said, "Well, in a nutshell, yes. Danzo was killed some time ago, and we needed a shinobi to replace him. Itachi was selected because of his skills and he was brought back." Konan nodded and said, "It seems that the Akatsuki is no more, then. There are only three members remaining, Deidara, Zetsu, and Tobi. Which reminds me, after Nagato comes to consciousness, we need to discuss something extremely important."

The Hokage said, "About what?" Konan hesitated, and said, "I'd feel more comfortable if Nagato was there with me when I told you.". Tsunade nodded and said, "We'll talk later, then. Now, I must get going. I have some important matters to attend to, regarding the village. The destruction is unimaginable. I'll see you later." She went out and told Naruto that he could go in. The boy ran inside as fast as he could.

Konan went and took a look at Nagato. Nagato was sleeping peacefully, in the bed that Konan had made. The woman said, "We'd best not wake him up. Let's go out." Naruto said, "I should get going. My house must have also been destroyed by now." Jiraiya said, "Come, Konan. Let's sit outside and talk about your history."

Naruto took off, wondering what would happen now that the entire village had been destroyed. He wandered around the edges of the village, seeing all the shinobi hard at work finding whatever they could from the rubble that had been pushed up against the edges of the village. Just then, he saw someone arrive at the gates of the village, someone who he didn't expect at all...


	41. Chapter 41: The Help From The Sand

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter today. Sorry, I was going to upload yesterday, but my ISP suddenly decided to make fun of me. *sigh* Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and if you do, please leave a review. I'm starting to feel as though no one is reading my story anymore. Happy Reading!

**Chapter 41: The Help From The Sand**

"**GAARA!"**

Naruto ran over to the gates of the village, and came to a stop in front of his friend. Gaara smiled at him and said, "It is good to see you, Naruto." The boy nodded enthusiastically and said, "Same here. What are you doing here all of a sudden?" Kankuro replied, "We heard news of the Akatsuki attacking the village, so we came to help. I see that they really did a number on you guys."

Naruto said, "They totally annihilated the entire village from the centre. All that's left of the buildings is the rubble on the edges of the village." Temari whistled, saying, "This is certainly not good. It looks like the Leaf won't be functioning properly for a while now." Gaara said, "Where is Lady Tsunade?" Naruto said, "She could be anywhere right now, I can't tell."

Gaara said, "Let's go and find her, then. I believe I may be able to help in this situation." The knucklehead said, "How's that?" Gaara said, "I can use my sand to cover this crater up. Kankuro has a jutsu which can cover the sand with stone and earth. It will become flat again in a matter of time. Then you people can start rebuilding all the buildings in the village."

Naruto said, "That's awesome." They began walking over the perimeter of the village, searching for Tsunade. They found her after a while, supervising the excavation work of artifacts from the Leaf Village Archives. She looked at them in amazement. "Gaara?! What are you doing here?!" The boy explained what he meant to do and Tsunade said, "That is very nice of you. Thanks a lot for this, Gaara." Gaara said, "It's the least we can do for the Leaf."

Tsunade said, "So, when are you going to do this?" Gaara said, "Actually, I was thinking of doing it right now. It's best not to waste too much time." Tsunade said, "Alright then. Let's go." She told Shizune to take charge and began walking with the Sand Siblings and Naruto. The five of them reached the Hokage Monument and Tsunade said, "We'd best stand atop one of the heads. That will give you the best view of what to do."

Gaara said, "That's right. Also, I need access to a large amount of sand in order to do this. I will have to get it from the stone and earth outside the village. This will take some time." They went atop the Fourth Hokage's head and Gaara sat down. He clapped his hands together and focused his energy.

A few minutes later, a hole suddenly opened up in the center of the crater and sand started pouring out from inside it. Gaara opened his eyes and said, "I will need a few chakra pills in order to continue this. Do you have any?" Tsunade shook her head and said, "I have something better. I have developed a chakra fluid, which acts like a pill, but is much stronger, and much easier to absorb by the body." She handed him two vials of blue fluids and Naruto said, "Oh, yeah, I also used one of those in order to fight Pein."

That removed any suspicion from the minds of Kankuro and Temari. They continued watching the sand pouring out from the hole, and covering up the crater slowly. By and by, Naruto started to get bored and said, "Hey, Grandma Tsunade, what will happen to all the civilians? They have no place to stay anymore."

Tsunade said, "I am making arrangements. I need some time, but it will most probably be done by tonight." Naruto nodded and said, "I should go now. I'll go and check up on Nagato." Tsunade said, "Don't make too much of noise there, Naruto." He said, "Don't worry, I won't." Gaara nodded him goodbye and went back to working on the crater. Temari said, "Hey, wait up, Naruto. Can you help me find Shikamaru before heading off to wherever you're going?" Naruto said, "Sure, why not? Come on. He's most probably found some spot which he can lie down on and look up at the clouds."

Unfortunately, that was not the case, as they found Shikamaru using his Shadow Possession Jutsu to help lift things out of his house. Choji and Ino were also helping and Ino rushed over to Naruto as soon as she saw him, crushing his body against hers with a giant bearhug. "I'm so glad you're okay! I heard that you had gone off to fight Pein." Naruto smiled, "I'm fine, Ino. I'm glad that you're okay." They went over to Shikamaru and Choji, who were wiping their brows. Temari said, "Need any help there, smarty?"

Shikamaru groaned at hearing her voice and said, "What a drag." He turned around to face her and said, "I'm fine, thank you." Temari said, "Sure doesn't look that way to me." The apathetic boy said, "Why are you here?" Temari replied lazily, "We're here to help the Leaf village." Ino's ears caught that and she said, "We?"

Temari said, "Gaara, Kankuro and me." Ino said, "The Kazekage is here?" The fan wielder nodded and said, "He's currently filling up the crater as we speak." Sure enough, when Ino, Choji and Shikamaru looked towards the crater, they saw that the base was already half filled with sand. Choji said, "But sand is not good for building stuff over. It has no structural integrity." Temari said, "Normal sand, perhaps. But the sand from Gaara's jutsu is much more resilient. And anyway, a layer of rock and earth will cover that sand. Kankuro will be doing that."

Ino said, "I never thought your brother knew Jutsus apart from puppet NinJutsu." Temari said, "Well, puppet NinJutsu is his specialty. But he also knows how to defend himself without puppets. He wouldn't have been a Jonin otherwise." Shikamaru said, "Well, we better get back to work. We need to demolish all of this rubble later on, so we better retrieve as much stuff as we can before we do so." Choji and Ino nodded and Naruto said, "I'll see you later, Ino. I'm going to check on someone." Ino said, "Who?" The boy replied, "I'll tell you later."

Naruto left Temari working along with Shikamaru and went off towards the Uchiha estate, wondering what Sasuke was up to now. He thought, 'What has happened to Sasuke that made him so reluctant to come back to the Leaf village? Even after I told him that I would help him track down Itachi.' He decided not to think about that right now, and went over to the estate. As he reached, he saw Jiraiya heading out and said, "Hey, Pervy Sage, were you here the whole time?"

Jiraiya said, "Yeah, I was. Nagato woke up a while ago, we were sitting chatting. I lost track of time. You back here for another visit?" Naruto nodded and said, "How's he doing?" Jiraiya said, "He looks better already. I don't know what magic Tsunade worked on him but I think he'll be fine in a few days."

Naruto went inside and found Konan and Nagato talking. Nagato looked at Naruto and said, "Hi, Naruto. Nice of you to drop by." Naruto said, "I was just checking in on you. I figured you would have woken up by now." Nagato said, "I woke up just an hour ago. I am feeling much better, ever since Tsunade-san helped me out."

Naruto said, "Yeah, you look much fitter already. I mean, come on, I could literally see your bones earlier." Nagato laughed, a much warmer sound than any he had made before, and said, "I know, I was really weak that time. Konan tells me that I need to rest for a month or two and I will be back on my feet soon."

The three of them sat talking for a while, before Naruto said, "Oh, I totally forgot. If everyone's retrieving stuff from their house, I should get my house checked up as well! I'll come back tomorrow and see you guys. See ya!" He whirled out of the house and Konan said, "He reminds me of Yahiko a lot." Nagato smiled and said, "Yes, Yahiko was just as energetic as he is."

Naruto raced over to the general direction of where his house would be after being pushed to the edges by the Deva Path, and was able to find it. He quickly sent a couple of Shadow Clones down into the rubble, transformed into rats, in order to find out the status of the secret room. The clones vanished after a couple of minutes, relaying to Naruto that the secret room was still untouched.

That left Naruto surprised and he thought, 'How is it possible that nothing would happen to that room even after the entire house has turned to rubble?' He decided to check it out and began clearing the rubble away, using his Shadow Clones to help him out.

After a few hours of working hard, they were able to get almost all the rubble out of the way, securing all the things that had not been completely destroyed or which were still working well. Naruto found that the secret room had walls completely made of metal, which was probably why it had not been destroyed. He thought, 'My mom sure knew how to protect her stuff.'

He quickly opened the door of the room, and entered into it. Although it was dim in here, he could make out that almost nothing had changed. The only difference was that some vials of poison had broken, and the weapons and scrolls were strewn arounf the room, instead of being properly arranged as they had been before. Naruto heaved a sigh of relief and took out a big scroll. He opened it up and began storing all the weapons and smaller scrolls into it. After he was done, he carefully picked up the vials which were still undamaged and stored them into the scroll as well.

After he was done, he decided to find out which vials were broken, and took out a smaller scroll and unsealed it, revealing a pair of gloves. He wore them, and began to examine which vials were broken. As he did, he found a piece of parchment on which all the vials were listed. He smiled and thought, 'Lucky break.' He took out a kunai and carefully began making scratches next to the names of the vials which had been damaged.

As Naruto worked, suddenly a knock got his attention. He said, "Who is it?" Ino's voice came from the other side and said, "It's Ino, is that you, Naruto?" He replied, "Yeah, come on in." Ino came in and said, "What happened? Where is everything?"

Naruto said, "I stored everything in a scroll. I was just going over the vials which have broken, and making a note of them. How did you know this place would be what it is?" Ino said, "After I finished helping Shikamaru and Choji, I realized that our house would also have been damaged. So I came here to see what I could retrieve. I saw this metal room and thought that it must be the secret room, since it was beneath the rest of the house. I also saw that most of the rubble had been cleared, which made me wonder whether someone had broken in. So I knocked to find out."

Naruto said, "It's good you're here. I can't make head or tail out of these names. Can you help me out here?" Ino came over and took the gloves from him. She began systematically checking the names and scratching next to them on the list. After a few minutes, she straightened up, saying, "Alright, done. I've found out which vials are broken, and the rest of them must be inside your scroll, right?" Naruto nodded and said, "Come on, let's get out of here. The room is smelling quite musty."

They headed out and found that the sky had turned dark. Suddenly, Naruto's stomach began grumbling loudly, and he said, "I'm really hungry." Ino laughed and said, "I made that out. Let's find someplace where we can get food from. We might have to travel to Tanzaku Town." Naruto said, "Wait, I can get there. Come here." He took Ino's hand and the two of them disappeared, reappearing next to a hotel in Tanzaku Town.

Ino said, "What? How did we get here so quickly?" Naruto said, "Secret." They looked up at the restaurant, Naruto in awe, and Ino in disappointment. "Ramen again, Naruto?" He said, "Come on, Ino-chan, it's the best ramen shop in the world apart from Ichiraku's."

Ino sighed and went in. Naruto followed her and they ordered dinner.

Sasuke reached the Hidden Rain Village and Zetsu came up out of the ground to greet him. Sasuke began without preamble, "Pein has gone rogue." Zetsu said, "That is not possible." Sasuke said, "I saw it with my own eyes. He surrendered himself to the Hidden Leaf."

Black Zetsu said, "That is certainly not good." White Zetsu replied, "Of course it's not. Without our leader, what good are we? And he has intel that would effectively shut us down for good." All of a sudden, Tobi appeared out of nowhere, and said, in a voice totally unlike his own, "I have just received information that Nagato has betrayed us. Is this true?"

Zetsu said, "Sasuke brought us the same news." Tobi said, "That is unfortunate. We will have to kill him before anything can be revealed about us." Sasuke said, "He looked pretty weak to me when he went with Naruto." Tobi was surprised and said, "Naruto?"

Sasuke said, "Yeah, Naruto convinced him to give up the path which he was walking on, and to join him. And Nagato did. Konan went with him, of course." Zetsu said, "What do we do now, Tobi-sama?" Sasuke was surprsied to hear the respect in Zetsu's voice for Tobi and said, "What's up with you, Tobi? Why are you sounding so different? And where is Deidara?"

Tobi said, "Deidara is bringing the Three Tails here. And I am not Tobi. My name is Madara. Uchiha Madara." Sasuke said, "Uchiha Madara? Like, the Uchiha who helped found the Leaf Village? But he's been dead for more than sixty years now." Tobi laughed and said, "I cannot die. I am immortal. However, I had to hide myself within the Akatsuki in order to keep it functioning properly."

Sasuke said, "So, you're the true leader of the Akatsuki, then?" Madara nodded and said, "Tobi is just my alter ego that I made in order to keep the number of Akatsuki members constant, and to irritate Konan." Sasuke was confused now, and asked, "But why reveal yourself to me now, all of a sudden?" Madara said, "Because there is no need to keep up this farce anymore. We are at our weakest strength ever. I cannot keep up my disguise anymore, now that the official leader himself has gone rogue."

Sasuke said, "I still don't believe that you are Madara. How can a person be immortal?" Madara said, "I am not here to answer all of your questions. If you don't believe me, I cannot do anything about it." Sasuke said, "With you guys so weak now, I don't think that I have any need for you. I will find where Itachi is hiding myself. I don't think that you can help me anymore."

Madara said, "That is a pity. You know we can't let you go like this." Sasuke said, "You cannot stop me." Madara's right eye glowed red through his orange mask and he said, "Oh, really?" Sasuke calmly said, "Yes, really." Madara said, "Do tell me how you plan to escaping this place?" Sasuke said, "Easy peasy. Amaterasu." An inferno of black flames appeared out of Sasuke's left eye, and the two members of the Akatsuki jumped back in order to avoid the flames. As they tried their hardest to escape the flames, they noticed Sasuke running off. Madara said, "GET HIM!" White Zetsu said, "We can't, the flames are after us as well!"

Madara roared, "I'll kill you, UCHIHA SASUKE!"

Sasuke ran out of the hideout, wondering whether Naruto would hold true to his promise. Then he remembered that it was Naruto who he was thinking about. That guy would die trying to fulfil his promises. Sasuke thought, 'Naruto will help me out, I'm sure of it.' He frowned, thinking, 'Since when was I dependent on that dobe? But then, he's become quite strong now. I guess I should just put up with him till I have my revenge.' He ran quickly towards the Leaf village, deciding to stay at Tanzaku Town for the foreseeable future.

Gaara stood up, panting. Tsunade gave him another chakra vial, and he took it. After gulping down the contents, he said, "Thank you." Tsunade laughed and said, "I should be thanking you, Gaara. If it weren't for you, who know how much time it would take for us to repair this mess." It had become dark out, and so she said, "Kankuro, you should stay for the night and perform your jutsu tomorrow morning." Kankuro nodded. The two of them began walking along with Tsunade to the emergency hideout of the Hokage, which the Third had built if in case the village was ever attacked. As they reached inside, Tsunade flicked on the lights and found herself standing in a really luxurious place. She nodded appreciatively and said, "Sarutobi-sensei really did know how to live in style."

She turned to the Sand siblings and said, "You can stay here. I will ask someone to direct Temari-san here as well. Is it furnished to suit your needs?" Kankuro said, "This is far too good." Gaara smiled and said, "Thank you, Tsunade-san. We will be most comfortable here." Tsunade inclined her head in a polite gesture and then said, "Then I shall leave now. I have some more things to look after, mainly the construction of basic commodities, and removal of the debris, and so on."

Gaara said, "We will be up early tomorrow to finish the work. I must leave for the Sand quickly as well, since the Kazekage's absence won't remain unnoticed for long." Tsunade said, "Haven't you notified the village of your absence?" Gaara shook his head and said, "Baki is playing my role for now. But how long he will be able to do so cannot be said."

Tsunade whistled and said, "You really are something else, Gaara." He smiled and she left, wishing them a good night's sleep. Kankuro said, "Gaara, tell me something. Why are you really here?" Gaara said, "For the same reason that I told Tsunade-san. I want to help the Leaf village." Kankuro said, "They used to be our enemies, Gaara. Why do you go out of your way to help them?"

Gaara looked at him sternly and said, "I owe them my life, Kankuro. Have you forgotten that without the Leaf village, I wouldn't be here right now?" Kankuro hung his head and said, "I suppose you're right." Gaara said, "The stronger our bonds with the Leaf village, the stronger our village becomes as well. And a friendship with another village can never hurt. Especially with a village that produces such fine shinobi such as Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and many others." Kankuro nodded and said, "Let's get some rest now, Gaara." They found two rooms and decided to bunk together, keeping the other room for Temari.

Shikamaru lay on a makeshift bench which he had constructed, with his head in Temari's lap, looking up at the clouds in the moonlight. Temari said, "I should get going now, Shika. It's getting late." Just then, a messenger ninja came running over and Shikamaru got up in a hurry. Temari straightened up her uniform and tried to look professional. The ninja said, "Lady Tsunade sends her regards. These are the directions to the place where Kazekage-sama and Kankuro-san are staying for the night." Temari took the letter and said, "Thank you." The messenger saluted and went away, running quickly. Shikamaru said, "You're right, it's getting late. Gaara will probably be wondering where you are."

Temari snorted. "He's probably fast asleep by now. He knows that I can take care of myself." Shikamaru grinned, "Fair enough. So, how long are you going to be here?" Temari said, "I think we'll probably leave tomorrow. We've come here without informing anyone after all." Shikamaru raised his eyebrows and said, "You're AWOL?"

The blonde kunoichi nodded and said, "We knew that the elders would not let us leave without questions upon questions. Gaara wanted to help, so he told Baki to take his place. We came here flying, on Gaara's sand, so we made it here pretty fast. But I don't know whether he will be up to it tomorrow, now that he's spent so much of his chakra on the jutsu to fill up the crater."

Shikamaru nodded wisely, and said, "So you need to get back as soon as possible. Alright then, seems like this is goodbye, then." Temari leaned in and kissed him quickly. She said, "I'll be back as soon as I can. We have a treaty coming up which allows us to transfer prisoners across our villages. I'll have to come with Gaara to sign it. Or probably you will have to come to the Sand village if the need should arise."

Shikamaru smiled and said, "Either way, we should see each other soon." Temari grinned and said, "I didn't know that you were so eager to meet me again." Shikamaru said, "The whole thing is just a drag. But, what can you expect when you fall for someone from a whole different village?" Temari shushed him and kissed him again. Then she got up and said, "I'll see you around, Shika. Good night." He replied, "As though I'm going to be able to sleep after this. This is just too troublesome." Temari smirked and walked off, peeling off the envelope off the letter she had received. Shikamaru groaned and said, "I'm screwed."

Naruto and Ino had booked a hotel room in Tanzaku Town for the night. Naruto said, "It feels weird, living together, but not in our house, doesn't it?" Ino said, "I know, it seems really strange. But, what can we do, right? Let's make the most of it." She giggled and said, "We can pretend like it's our pre-wedding honeymoon."

Naruto said, "Oh, really? I wonder what that should be like." Ino slipped off her sandals and pulled him into a kiss, saying, "Let's find out." The two of them fell onto the bed, having a furious make out session that would have made even Jiraiya blush. Things heated up quickly...

Sasuke got closer to Tanzaku Town and thought, 'I'll take a room in that hotel which I had destroyed with my Chidori the last time.' He headed over there and the manager, who thankfully didn't recognize him, gave him a room on the second floor. He headed over to the room, and put his belongings in. Just as he was about to get some rest, he heard thumping sounds in the room next to him, and groaned, thinking, 'Can't I get one night's sleep without something disturbing me?' He banged on the wall and said, "Quiet, please!"

The noises didn't cease, but became less loud, amidst giggles. Sasuke fell into a troubled sleep, dreaming of Itachi, Naruto and weird thumping noises.

Ino cuddles up against Naruto in bed. He said, "I have half a mind to go and smack that guy who disturbed us." Ino said, "Oh come on, Naruto. It's late, the person next door must be trying to get some sleep. You can't blame them. We were quite loud." Naruto grinned sheepishly and said, "I guess so. So, what's the plan now? We aren't going to have a place to sleep for quite some time now."

Ino said, "Oh, don't worry about that. Lady Tsunade is arranging temporary houses for everyone. Some guy named Yamato is going to be making the houses, using Wood Style. I didn't know that Wood Style still existed in the village. It's amazing, isn't it?" Naruto said, "I know Captain Yamato. He was our replacement for Kakashi sensei after the mission to rescue Gaara was completed. Kakashi sensei was exhausted and we had another mission coming up, so Captain Yamato replaced him."

Ino said, "Wow, I didn't know that. So, did you see his Wood Style?" Naruto nodded, and said, "It even took me by surprise because I knew that the only one who used the Wood Style in our village was the First Hokage." Ino said, "Not only our village, Naruto, but the entire world." Naruto said, "We must ask him how he knows Wood Style."

Ino said, "Yeah, well, we need to get some rest first." She put her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Naruto thought, 'I'll teach that next door guy a lesson tomorrow.' He fell asleep, thinking about how the village could be repaired quickly.

The next morning, Naruto got up early. He carefully dislodged himself from Ino's arms and kissed her on the forehead. She smiled in her sleep and he got out of bed, putting on his clothes. He remembered the disturbance last night by the guy next door and headed out. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He pushed the door, and to his surprise, it opened up. There was no one in sight, so Naruto closed the door and went down to the manager. He said, "Excuse me, I'm from room 2B. Who was in 2C yesterday night?"

The manager said, "Is everything alright, sir?" Naruto said, "Well, he was banging on the wall and grumbling, so I wanted to know who he was. Did he leave early?" The manager nodded and said, "Just an hour ago, sir." Naruto said, "So, what was his name?" The manager looked into his record book and said, "Uchiha Sasuke."

A resounding "**WHAT?!**" frightened the manager. Naruto looked in the record book and saw Sasuke's signature there. He said, "There's no mistaking it! That's Sasuke's signature! Quick, which direction did he go?" The manager was visibly shaken by the sudden reaction and said, "He left in the direction of the Leaf village." Naruto quickly ran up the stairs and burst into his room. Ino had just woken up and said, "What's the ruckus about, Naruto?"

He said, "The guy next door, from yesterday! You'll never guess who it was!" Ino said, "You're acting as though it was Sasuke." He deflated and said, "Well, yes it was! The manager said that he's heading in the direction of the Leaf village!" Ino got a jolt and she stared at Naruto. She said, "But, that means..." He nodded and said, "Two things. Either he's coming back to join the village, or he's going to do something stupid. Anyway, we need to go after him!"

Ino nodded and began to change her clothes immediately. Naruto waited impatiently, until she was done. Before she could brush her hair, he pulled her hand and said, "You're looking beautiful without doing anything. Come on!" Ino smiled at the comment and said, "Alright, alright." They quickly hurried down, and Naruto paid the manager. The two of them rushed out of the hotel, and Naruto said, "Now, if I were Sasuke, which way would I go from?"

He thought about Sasuke's general behaviour and said, "Got it. He would take the shortest and toughest path. Come on." The two of them ran after Sasuke. Suddenly after a few minutes, Naruto stopped. Ino stopped as well, and said, "What happened, Naruto?" He said, "Hold on, I'm trying to sense him using nature energy." Ino waited and Naruto got a bearing on Sasuke. He said, "He's just in front of us. By around two miles. He's stopped, for some reason." They hurried over to the location and found Sasuke sitting casually underneath a giant tree. Naruto said quietly, "Ino, stay back. I'll go and see why he's here." Ino nodded and Naruto jumped onto the branch which Sasuke was sitting under.

The noise of Naruto's feet on the branch brought Sasuke out of his reverie and he looked up to see Naruto hanging upside down from the branch, using chakra to cling to his feet. Sasuke smirked and said, "You've become quite the show off."

Naruto said, "What are you doing here?" Sasuke said, "That's it? No, '**Come home, Sasuke! We miss you**!' stuff today?" Naruto said, "No, I don't think you would listen as it is." Sasuke said, "Yeah, well, I suppose you're right." The knucklehead repeated, "What are you doing here?" Sasuke replied smoothly, "I headed over here to meet you."

Naruto was surprised and said, "Me? Why?" Sasuke said, "Remember our deal about me helping you avenge Kakashi and you helping me track down Itachi? I'm here to talk about that offer." Naruto said, "I see. Well, you didn't inform me when you would be coming, and you left so quickly yesterday, that I didn't have any time to talk. So how should I have known?"

Sasuke said, "That is not important. Kakashi is alive, yes?" Naruto nodded and said, "Nagato revived him along with everyone else who was dead." Sasuke said, "I know, I was there at that time." Naruto said, "Why did you run off?" Sasuke said, "I went to the Akatsuki to tell them that I wasn't going to be part of them anymore." Naruto heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that. So, you're staying in Tanzaku Town now, are you?"

Sasuke said, "How on earth do you know that?" Naruto casually replied, "I was in the room next door when you banged on it and told me to be quiet." Sasuke said, "What? That was you?" Naruto nodded, grinning, and said, "Ino and I had taken a room because the village is destroyed and there was no room to stay there." Sasuke said, "So, that means you and Ino..." Naruto kept grinning. Ino dropped down from her hiding spot and said, "Hiya, Sasuke." Sasuke said, "Hi, Ino. You've changed a lot, since the last time I saw you."

Ino said, "Yeah, well, you ran off, so how would you know. You've changed a lot, yourself. Where's that blue shirt of yours?" Sasuke said, "How about talking about business? I don't have all day, you know." Ino thought, 'Not even a comment on me looking nice? Is he gay or something?'

Naruto said, "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

Sasuke replied, "I'm pretty sure that Itachi is somewhere in the Land of Fire. When I came here with Pein, he trapped me in a small GenJutsu in order to divert me away from the village. After I broke through the GenJutsu, he began to run. Naturally, I followed him, until I caught up to him. But before I could do anything, Kisame Hoshigaki came between us and Itachi disappeared. So I know for sure that he's still in the country."

Naruto said, "But the Land of Fire is a large place, and if he disappeared yesterday, he could be anywhere now. How on earth are we going to find him?" Sasuke said, "That's why I came here. Your Shadow Clone Jutsu will help out in this place." Naruto said, "I see. That's a good idea. I'll send about fifty clones around the country to see if I can find Itachi. I'll relay back the news to you via clone as well. I trust you'll be in Tanzaku Town?"

Sasuke shook his head and said, "I'll be searching for Itachi as well. If you find any information, send it to the hotel manager. I will return there for the night." Naruto said, "Alright, then. I hope you find Itachi soon so that you can come back home." Sasuke grunted, "We'll see." He vanished and Naruto and Ino began to head back to the village. Ino said, "Naruto, why are you so hell bent on bringing Sasuke back to the village?" Naruto said, "I promised Sakura that I would bring him back. And Sasuke is like a brother to me. He's my best friend, and that is a bond which is very special to me. I won't allow it to break so easily."

They reached the village gates and showed their identity cards. The guards let them in and Naruto asked, "Where is Grandma Tsunade?" The guards gave them directions to the emergency Hokage hideout. Naruto began to run over there, but suddenly stopped. He said, "Look!" Ino looked at the direction he was pointing in and gasped.

The crater which had occupied the village floor had completely disappeared. It was now replaced by rock and earth, and was completely flat. Ino said, "How?" Naruto said, "Oh yeah, it was Gaara! He came here with Kankuro and Temari yesterday, remember?" Ino suddenly remembered and said, "But to fill up the entire crater in one day? That's unreal!"

Naruto said, "That's why he's the Kazekage, isn't he?" Ino marveled at the sight. She walked on the earth, and said, "It almost feels like there wasn't a huge crater here yesterday." Naruto said, "Now the only thing left to do is to rebuild the village to how it was before." They went over to the emergency hideout, which Tsunade had converted into her temporary office.

Tsunade said, "Where on earth have you been, Naruto?" He said, "I had gone to Tanzaku Town for the night, with Ino. Why?" Tsunade said, "We need your Shadow Clones in order to speed up the building process." Naruto said, "Oh, right. I totally forgot about that. Have you acquired the materials already?" Tsunade nodded and said, "The neighboring villages and countries were ready to help us at a moment's notice, which is very pleasing to hear. We have already hired a whole lot of carpenters from the Land of Waves, who will be here in around two days."

Naruto said, "So, why do you need me right now?" Tsunade said, "The materials, Naruto. They are ready to be delivered, but we need to make sure that they reach without anything being stolen. I've already sent five teams of Chunins and Jonins to get the materials, but I don't want to take any chances, not now." Naruto said, "I see. Okay, then. Where are the places to send my clones to?" Tsunade showed him a map and said, "These are the five places where you have to send your clones. Make sure to make them a little stronger, to last more than a single hit." Naruto said, "I'll do that. Alright, SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"

A hundred clones burst out of thin air, and crowded the room. Tsunade went irate and said, "COULDN'T YOU HAVE DONE THIS OUTSIDE, **BAKA!**" All the Narutos scratched their head sheepishly. They went outside quickly and the original Naruto said, "I want five groups of twenty. Quick." The Narutos assembled into groups of twenty. Tsunade said, "First group, go to the Land of Greens. Food and vegetables are being sent from there. Make sure nothing happens to the consignment." The group nodded and said, "HAI!" and took off.

Similarly, Tsunade sent the second group to the Land of Flowers, the third group to the Land of Greens, the fourth group to the Land of Snow, and the Fifth group to the Land of Birds. After all the groups were dispersed, she said, "Are you sure they will be up to the task?" Naruto nodded, and said, "I can help them if anything happens to them anyway." The Hokage said, "Alright then. I'll head back to get the temporary houses made." Naruto said, "Oh yeah, Captain Yamato is in charge of that, right?" Tsunade nodded and said, "He's quite tired, actually. He spent the entire night using chakra pills and making wood available for the temporary shelters. There's still a little more to go, though."

Naruto asked, "Where is he?"

The Hokage replied, "Underneath the Hokage monument." Naruto said, "I'll go instead. You take care of the paperwork." Tsunade thanked him and he took off, along with Ino and soon reached the place where Yamato was churning out wood from his hands. He looked worn out, and as they looked on, he took another chakra pill. He grunted, probably with the pain of using so many chakra pills, but he faithfully carried on. A few moments later, he signed again and made fifty more logs of wood. He sat on the floor, exhausted.

Naruto and Ino went towards him and the boy said, "Hi, Captain Yamato. I see you're hard at work." Yamato looked at him and said, "Hey... Naruto. Long time." Then he toppled over and fell unconscious. Ino quickly opened up his jacket and put her hands on his chest. A greenish glow began to come out of her hands, and she looked up at Naruto, saying, "Extreme exhaustion, Naruto. He needs a hospital."

Naruto said, "Hold on, I'll take him to Grandma Tsunade." He picked up the Wood Style user and carried him over to the Hokage's office. Tsunade was just heading out of her office when she saw Naruto carrying Yamato towards her. She ran towards him and said, "What happened?" He said shortly, "Chakra exhaustion."

She quickly put her hands on Yamato's chest and said, "I see. Get him in." They took Yamato inside and put him on the bed in one of the rooms. She signed and began treating him. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes and said, "Lady Tsunade, I..." Tsunade shushed him and said, "I was wrong to ask so much of you, Yamato. You should get some rest now." Yamato nodded and closed his eyes, falling asleep peacefully.

Naruto said, "Will he be alright?" Tsunade said, "Of course he will. It's the same case of chakra exhaustion, just like every time Kakashi gets exhausted after a big fight." Naruto and Ino left the room and Ino said, "What now?" Naruto said, "I have to wait for my clones to get back, before I send them to search for Itachi." Ino said, "So, we wait?" Naruto replied, "I guess so. We should go and help build the temporary shelters." Ino agreed and the two of them ran off towards the Hokage Monument.

As they reached, the two of them saw the rest of the Konoha 11 working over there as well. They greeted everyone and asked what they could do. Ino was given some cutting work, while Naruto was told to lift the heavy lumbers and take them to the places where they were needed. The two of them got down to work immediately. Naruto noticed Sakura helping carry the lumbers and decided to irritate her. He said, "Shouldn't you be doing the cutting work, like the rest of the girls, Sakura?" The pinkette snorted and said, "I'm much stronger than the rest of them, I can easily do the boys' work."

Naruto said, "Don't try so hard, or we'll forget that you're a girl." Sakura went red with anger and whirled the log of wood right at Naruto's head. He waited until the last moment and then stopped the log with his bare hands. Sakura was shocked at his strength and said, "How are you so strong, Naruto?" The boy grinned and said mockingly, "You're not the only one who can channel chakra into her hands and increase their strength."

Sakura said, "So, you can do that as well? When did you learn?" Naruto said, "I'll tell you some other time. Let's focus on our work for now." Sakura shrugged and the two of them continued to deliver the logs of wood wherever they were needed.

Naruto kept working, thinking where Sasuke was right now, and wondering whether his clones would be able to bring everything back properly. Just then, one of his clones vanished, and he realized that a kunai had been thrown at it. He kept the log of wood which he had just picked up, and vanished. Sakura looked at the spot where he's just been and thought, 'What the heck? Where did he go?'

Naruto reappeared on a path surrounded by trees on either side, and saw his fellow clones trying to fight a large group of bandits. Four leaf shinobi were also engaged in battle alongside. However, the bandits were reasonably skilled, and were able to get rid of all the clones. Naruto looked at them and one of the bandits, presumably the leader, said, "Get that last one. Then we can get rid of the rest of these nuisances."

The boy waited as one of the bandits came running at him, thinking that he was a clone as well. Naruto took a hit from the bandit and grinned as he saw a confused look cross the face of the bandit. That was the last thing the bandit knew before he was knocked cold with a well placed uppercut from Naruto.

The leader of the bandits said, "That's the real one, that's the real one! Get him, all of you!" Naruto sighed, thinking, 'I don't have time for this.' All the bandits rushed towards Naruto, who waited, and then began to sign at a speed which would leave Kakashi panting. He finished signing and roared, "Wind Style: Zero Point Gale!" The Leaf shinobi who were fighting heard the roar and paled, knowing that this was the jutsu that took down Danzo. They quickly retreated into the trees, confusing the bandits.

The resulting blast of wind absolutely destroyed the bandits. The leader cowered in fright as he saw the pieces of his fellow bandits fall on to the ground like leaves in autumn. He said, "What...what are you?" Naruto's eyes glowed and he said, "Your doom."

The bandit's cries could be heard all over the country.

Inside Naruto's psyche, the Kyuubi watched the entire scene unfold with wide eyes. He thought, '**Since when did Naruto become so aggressive? What's up with him?**'

As Naruto finished the bandit leader, all the other Leaf shinobi came out and thanked him. He said, "Anytime. Hold on." He created another set of clones and set them off to work. The boy said, "If you need me, you know what to do." The clones nodded. Naruto vanished and the Leaf shinobi blinked, wondering what had just happened. He reached atop the Fourth Hokage's head and went back to work. Sakura said, "Where had you gone?" He said, "My clones were in trouble. They were being attacked by bandits, so I went to take care of them." Sakura was curious now and said, "How did you get there and back so fast?"

Naruto picked up a log and said, "I'll tell you some other time, Sakura. We need to get to work." Sakura picked up another piece of wood, but her mind was completely set on Naruto's secret now. 'I have to find out somehow,' she thought. They kept on working, and all of Naruto's groups reached the village without any other incidents. One clone dispersed from each group in order to let him know about it and he went and informed Tsunade about it. The Hokage went towards the gates and liberated the clones from all the materials.

She said, "Good job, Naruto. You can disperse your clones now." Naruto nodded and said, "I'll just make them help our village ninjas in order to take the materials around where they are needed and then disperse them." Tsunade agreed and went back to her temporary office.

Naruto and his clones delivered the materials wherever they were required and then gathered around a training field. Naruto came to the front and said, "Alright guys, good job delivering everything. Now, I want all of you to search the entire Land of Fire for Itachi Uchiha. Break off into four group of twenty five and head in all the four directions. I want no one trying anything stupid, if anyone alerts him, he will be on the run immediately. If you find him, just disperse quietly. Leave a mark, of course."

All the clones nodded simultaneously and broke up into four groups. They all vanished at the same time, and Naruto thought, 'I hope that they aren't as clumsy as I used to be. Well, we'll see what happens. I should get back to work.' He went back to underneath the monument, and saw Yamato sitting there, surmising the work of the other people. He said, "Hey, Captain Yamato. Shouldn't you be resting right now?"

Yamato shook his head and said, "I can't rest right now, not while the village is in such a state. I asked Lady Tsunade to give me some adrenaline, so that I could at least sit here and supervise the others." Naruto said, "Well, that's good news. Have you heard from Kakashi-sensei lately?" Yamato replied, "Kakashi isn't in the village right now. Tsunade had him sent to the capital city, in order to get the funds from the Daimyo to rebuild the village. It's an important task, so who better than him?"

Naruto said, "Alright, let me know if you see him. I wanna talk to him." Yamato agreed and went back to supervising the shelters. Naruto walked over to his usual work spot with his hands in his pockets, and wondered what else he could do to help. He thought, 'My chakra isn't great right now, with all those stronger than usual clones of mine searching for Itachi, or else I could have used more clones in order to speed things along. Well, I guess I'll just have to work hard.' Just as he was about to start, a siren sounded and everyone put their work down. Naruto said, "What happened?" Sakura and Ino came along, talking to Hinata and Kiba. Shino was walking silently behind them.

Naruto went up to them and said, "What was that siren for?" Sakura said, "Lady Tsunade had it installed to signal lunch time. You know, most builders in construction sites have a specified lunch time, so she wanted everyone to get to eat properly. The construction will resume in around an hour or so." Kiba said, "Hey Naruto, let's have a race till the food stall they've set up. It's near the gates, on the right hand side, where the old playground used to be, remember?"

Naruto said, "Sure, why not?" The two of them stood next to each other and Kiba said, "Hinata, can you signal the start?" Hinata nodded, and said, "Th...three, two, one...GO!" Kiba took off, and Naruto began walking towards the gates casually. Kiba looked behind and said, "What's the matter, Naruto? You so afraid of losing that you're not even gonna try?"

Naruto laughed and said, "I just figured you'd need a headstart. Go on, you're going to lose anyway." Kiba puffed his face in annoyance and ran off quickly along with Akamaru at his heels. Sakura said, "Are you really sure that you can defeat him? He is really fast now, Naruto."

Ino smiled and said, "Don't worry, Sakura, Naruto can easily defeat him." Sakura turned to Ino questioningly, but the platinum blonde didn't elaborate. Naruto stretched his arms and legs, and started preparing himself. Kiba was now long gone. Sakura wondered what the knucklehead was up to, before realizing that he had some sort of secret. Ino was staring hard at Naruto, and the pinkette realized that Ino was just as desperate to figure out the secret as she was becoming.

Naruto suddenly disappeared from in front of their eyes, so fast, that the two Kunoichi blinked in order to see if he was still there or not. Sakura said, "How? How is it possible for him to be gone so fast? Even Sasuke is not that fast!" Ino said, "I don't know, Sakura, but I sure as hell intend to find out." The two of them began walking forward, leaving a finger tapping Hinata behind. Hinata wondered what to do, when Shino came over and said, "Lady Hinata, we should get some lunch. Why? Because we need to be at our full strength in order to help rebuild the village to its natural state."

Hinata said, "Right, let...let's go." and the two of them also began walking over to the lunch stall.

Naruto reappeared atop the village gates, and saw Kiba running hard towards the lunch stall. He was still far away, however, and Naruto began a lazy walk towards the stall. Just as he reached the line of people waiting to get their lunch, Kiba came up panting behind him and said, "How did you...huff...huff...get here...huff...so quickly?" Akamaru barked as well, and Naruto ruffled the dog's hair, before saying, "I don't need to run fast to get to places."

Kiba was completely confused by this statement. However, the smell of food attracted him towards it and he forgot about the race immediately. Very soon, the Konoha 11 were sitting and eating food on a mound of smooth earth that Ino had constructed with her Earth Style Jutsu.

As they finished, Naruto said, "Is everyone ready to get to work?" All the others nodded with enthusiasm and he said, "Let's go and get those tents ready ASAP then!" Lee also got up with a jump and said, "I will use all of my youthful energy and make sure that the civilians of Konoha have a place to stay immediately! If I fail to do so, I will do five hundred push ups on my fingers!"

Everyone went back to normal immediately. Lee took off towards the monument at once, and the rest of them began walking back, knowing the bad effects of running immediately after eating. Sure enough, when they reached the temporary shelters, Lee was sitting on the ground in one of the newly constructed ones, holding his stomach and groaning.

Neji walked by him and said severely, "Serves you right, Lee. How many times have we told you not to get so excited?" Tenten nodded and said, "Get some medicine from Shizune-san now. We can't afford you to be sitting holding your stomach right now."

Lee nodded and tried to move, but the awful pain in his stomach paralysed him again and he sat groaning until Naruto sent a clone to get some medicine for Lee. The jumpsuit clad boy thanked him and went off to where Neji and Tenten were working. Naruto began to work again, wondering what was going on with his clones, and why none of them had dispersed until now.

Sasuke ran through the forest, eyes constantly on alert for any sort of disturbance. He circled around an area systematically, searching for any sign of his older brother. Once the area was thoroughly searched, he moved on to another one. However, nothing came to sight, and he gave up after a few hours of fruitless effort. He thought, 'Where are you, brother? What do you want from me? Why do you let me live every time, embarrassing me, but never finishing me?'

Just then, two of Naruto's clones came running by and stopped on seeing him. Sasuke signaled for them to come towards him, and asked them, "Has Naruto sent you guys to search for Itachi?" The clones nodded and one of them said, "There are around a hundred of us. We've been searching from afternoon but we haven't found anything." Sasuke said, "Figures. I have also been searching from morning but haven't found a single clue."

The clones said, "Perhaps he has left the country and gone someplace else." Sasuke shook his head and said, "Itachi is not safe outside the country anymore. He knows the Land of Fire like the back of his hand and can easily avoid confrontation anywhere here. However, outside the country, it is another story. The Akatsuki is on the hunt for him, and for Pein now." The clones said, "Alright then. We will continue the search until nightfall, and then report back to the boss."

Sasuke said, "Tell him that I will be at Tanzaku Town. Report anything that you find to me."

The clones nodded and took off. Sasuke thought angrily, '**WHERE ARE YOU ITACHI!**'


	42. Chapter 42: Naruto's Secret: Part 1

**Author's Note: **Hey, what's up guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys today. Naruto's secret has been long due, so I felt that it is time for me to start working on it. I hope you guys find it good, and hope you guys enjoy reading the chapter, so without further ado, here's the first part of the chapter, and Happy Reading!

**Chapter 42: Naruto's Secret - Part 1**

The next few days went uneventfully for Naruto, who woke up early every morning, set out around fifty clones to search for Itachi, and then went to work on rebuilding the village. His clones were very useful, in delivering stuff quickly, and in helping out as extra manpower. All the civilians in the village had now realized that Naruto had never meant any harm to the village.

Naruto felt the change in the villagers' reactions, and was rather surprised. He spoke about it to Ino and she said, "It's probably because you did so much for the village." He said, "But I didn't do anything." Ino smiled at his modesty and said, "You've done too much for this village. And the people who populate it are finally understanding it."

Naruto shrugged and said, "Whatever. It feels nice to finally not get glared at by everyone, or getting stones thrown at any more." He began walking over to the now under construction hospital, where Naruto had been told to help out with all the heavy lifting. Ino walked with him, with her arm around his shoulder.

All the passers-by wished Naruto a good morning, and he smiled at them as well. Ino wondered whether this was only because Naruto had defeated Pein. The boy walked on, not caring much about all the attention that he was getting now. The platinum blonde thought, 'Well, he's always been a modest one, unless he was trying to show off in front of Sasuke.'

They reached the hospital and saw Shizune helping out in the temporary stall that they had set out in front of it, for giving out medicines to those in need. Naruto went up to her and wished her a good morning. She replied in kind and said, "Are you here to get the second floor completed today, Naruto?" He nodded and said, "I was wondering whether we should improve the buildings that we are making now, Shizune-san. This destruction is a good opportunity to make all the buildings bigger and better."

Shizune laughed and said, "Of course, Naruto. Haven't you seen the blueprints of all the buildings yet? Tsunade-sama got all the engineers working on much better buildings than the ones we had before. You'll see when they are completed." The boy said, "Well, I just do what I'm told by them. I don't really know the details about the buildings. But now that you mention it, I do see that the base of the hospital is much bigger than before. But won't that reduce the space available for the clinic shop that used to be next to it?" Shizune shook her head and said, "We had a better idea, and have decided to incorporate the shop into the hospital itself. That would allow for better space management as well."

Naruto was impressed by the thought that Tsunade had given into designing the village. Shizune said, "She's been working non-stop for the last few days, designing and updating older designs. She's exhausted, but determined not to let anything be done lazily. And her enthusiasm and determination has got the rest of the village working happily as well."

Ino said, "Where is Lady Tsunade right now?"

Shizune gave a bottle of some greenish liquid to a shinobi who had just come there, and said, "Take one ounce of this once every day." She turned back to Ino and said, "What was that?"

Ino repeated her question and Shizune complied, "She's working at restoring the Ninja Ops building. I heard that she's got it much larger now, to accommodate more ninjas in the meeting rooms, and the underground chambers are much tougher as well." Ino said, "I needed to speak to her. Will she be free?" The Hokage's apprentice shrugged and said, "No one can tell. She might be supervising some work, or she might be doing some heavy lifting herself." Ino said, "I'll just go and see for myself, then. I'll see you later, Naruto." He inclined his head towards her and she began walking off in the general direction of the Ninja Ops.

Naruto said, "I better get to work as well, Shizune-san. Although, I wanted to ask you something. I need some more lessons from you in order to improve my GenJutsu skills. I'm still sorely lacking in them, and I don't like being behind." Shizune smiled and said, "I'll be glad to help you out, Naruto. Although with the village in this state, who knows when we would be able to train." Naruto said, "I'll make sure the village is rebuilt soon, then."

Shizune said, "I have no doubt you will." Just then, Kakashi walked over and said, "Hey, Naruto. What are you doing here?" The knucklehead replied, "I was tasked to help rebuild the hospital from today. What about you?" The Sharingan wielder said, "I'm doing the same. Let's get to work, then." Naruto waved goodbye to Shizune and entered the construction site. To his surprise, most of the Konoha 11 were working on the hospital as well.

He went over to Lee and said, "Good morning, Lee. How come you're here?" Lee greeted Naruto with enthusiasm and said, "A very good morning to you too, Naruto! We were all asked to help rebuild the hospital quickly, because people are bound to get hurt during the reconstruction of the village! All the boys of Konoha 11 volunteered to help out!"

Naruto said, "That's good. Let's get to work quickly." He put his hands in a familiar sign and said, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Around a hundred clones split off and stood ready for any work that was required. Kakashi said, "I can help out here as well. Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Twenty clones of Kakashi split off as well, and stood next to the Narutos.

The original knucklehead said, "I have an idea, Kakashi sensei. Why don't your clones take five of my clones each and work on a specific task?" Kakashi smiled, "That's a very good idea." All the Narutos began dividing into groups of five and each clone of Kakashi picked a team.

After the clones were all divided properly, Kakashi said, "Every team will be given a specific duty. Please make sure not to stray from oyur work, since you all look the same." Everyone nodded, and lined up in front of the table where a team of engineers were sitting. They told the ninjas what jobs they had, and everyone got to work.

Ino was surprised to see the building of the Ninja Ops already half constructed. She saw Tsunade sitting under a shelter nearby and walked over to her. Tsunade said, "Hello, Ino. What brings you here?" Ino said, "I'll get straight to the point, Tsunade-sama. I want to know what secret Naruto possesses."

Tsunade was surprised by the straightforward request, but knew that it had been a long time now, and Ino must have gotten quite frustrated after so long. She decided to respond kindly and said, "I wish I could tell you, Ino, but quite frankly, I can't. I took a Blood oath in order to keep this secret and I would rather not risk death to tell you. I guess it is up to you to wear Naruto down and get him to tell it to you himself."

Ino said, "Can't you give me some sort of hint?" Tsunade shook her head firmly and said, "I definitely could not. Naruto is quite intelligent actually, and he made sure that there were no loopholes in this agreement between him and me." Ino sighed. Tsunade said, "You'll have to ask him, Ino. And I have no doubt that if you persist, he will tell you. After all, he's no longer bound by the status of his rank." Ino said, "Fine, then. I'll ask him. Thank you for your time, Tsunade-sama." Tsunade smiled at her and Ino exited the shelter.

Tsunade sighed as well, and said to herself, "Naruto will soon have to tell everyone. I have no doubt that everyone has noticed his abilities by now." Just then, a whirl of wind in front of her brought her out of her thoughts and she said in annoyance, "What do you want now?" Jiraiya said, "Is that the way to greet your team-mate?" Tsunade said, "I'm trying to get some rest, Jiraiya. Is it something important?"

Jiraiya became serious and said, "We need to do something about Nagato's residence." Tsunade frowned and said, "Why?" The white haired Sannin said, "Have you forgotten that they stay in the same compound where Itachi and Kisame do?" Tsunade frowned, "I don't follow, Jiraiya. Speak clearly."

Jiraiya sighed and said, "You've clearly been overworking that mind of yours if you can't add two and two any more. Naruto goes to visit Nagato almost every day. What is he sees Itachi's wife? Or daughter? Or worse, Itachi or Kisame themselves? He'd go ballistic!" Tsunade's eyes widened in shock and she said, "Oh shit! I didn't think of that!"

Jiraiya said gravely, "We need to move one of them out before long. Or we risk having the Uchiha compound being destroyed as well." Tsunade said, "But Itachi and Kisame belong to the Root now. They have their faces covered now, and I don't think that they would allow Naruto to see them anyway."

Jiraiya said, "That still doesn't remove the risk of Naruto seeing Itachi's wife, or daughter." Tsunade pondered over this, and he continued, "It would be best if Nagato was moved out some time soon. By the way, where is Naruto?" Tsunade said, "I had him help rebuild the hospital so that all the guys who might get injured while helping in construction will at least be able to get treated immediately."

Jiraiya said, "That's a good strategy. Alright, I should get going now, I need to go to Mount Myoboku to talk to Lord Fukasaku." Tsunade said, "What about?" He said, "I'll tell you when I return. It's still not finalized." Tsunade shrugged and said, "Get back soon. I want you to help as well." Jiraiya laughed and said, "We'll see."

He disappeared.

Sasuke walked slowly around the capital city, disguised as a regular civilian. He thought, 'Security is quite lax around here. I wonder what is going on. Is it because the village was destroyed that there is no security here?' He walked towards the palace and saw the guards lolling around, talking to each other, not even keeping a watch for anything suspicious. Annoyance filled his mind and he thought, 'If I wasn't focused on finding Itachi, I would definitely have taught these guys a lesson.'

He kept an eye out for Itachi as he walked around, but the older Uchiha, was of course not to seen anywhere. Sasuke was getting frustrated by every passing moment. He decided to head to one of the old hideouts in the Land of Fire which his father had once shown him. It was one of the places where the Uchihas went to replenish special weapons, which were not produced anywhere in the Leaf village.

Sasuke thought, 'It's been a long time since I've been there. I wonder if that old woman still runs the place. What was her name again?' Try as he might, he could not remember, so he simply went on walking, thinking of asking her name when he met her.

As the boy reached the hideout, he activated his Sharingan. He noticed that the hideout seemed to be closed and decided to investigate. As he reached the front entrance, a kunai suddenly emerged from the right and he barely dodged it. As he did, he noticed the shape of the kunai and thought, 'So, someone else has taken control of this hideout, then.'

But when he looked at his enemy, it turned out to be the same old woman whose name he had forgotten. She said, "Who are you? And what do you want?" Then she noticed the Sharingan in his eyes and said, "Are you..."

Sasuke nodded and said, "I am Uchiha Sasuke. I came here to ask a few questions. I remember you, old lady." The lady came walking over to him and said, "I heard about you being the only one alive after your older brother killed the rest of the clan." Sasuke said, "Have you seen Itachi lately?"

The woman shook her head and said, "I am afraid not. Itachi has not been around here for a long time now. In fact, no one has been around here for quite some time now. I stayed here alone all these years, hoping that you would someday come here and relieve me of my command. But you've grown so much that I completely forgot how you look."

Sasuke shook his head as well and said, "I am not here to relieve you. I just wanted to know if you had seen Itachi. I have sworn to avenge my clan by killing him, and I will not rest until I do so." The old lady sighed in disappointment and said, "You have no idea how difficult your ambition is." Sasuke frowned at that and the old lady elaborated, "Itachi is a genius; a shinobi born once in a generation. He has skills that shinobi have never ever seen in their life. He is a master of manipulation, and the ultimate spy and assassin. No one can touch him if he decides not to let them."

Sasuke said, "I have already fought him before. The last time, I nearly killed him. This time, I will make sure that I do." The old lady's eyes widened. "You nearly killed Itachi?" Sasuke nodded in pride and she said, "Very well, then. If you feel you have what it takes to take down your own elder brother, I can help you. I still have some weapons around here that are waiting to be used. They could be extremely useful while fighting Itachi."

Sasuke said, "I am grateful for your support. Lead the way."

The two of them entered the hideout and Sasuke saw all the weapons hanging off the walls, and many hundreds of boxes simply piled up against the walls. There were names on the boxes and the woman said, "Take your pick."

Sasuke took out a box of shurikens, and marveled at the quality. The shurikens were made of steel, but had a dull matte look to them, and he thought, 'These will be very useful in the Shadow Shuriken Jutsu.' He opened one of his scrolls and replaced all his shurikens with the ones in the box. Then he activated the seals on his hands and replaced those shurikens as well.

After that, he took a look at the kunais. These were different from the ones which were manufactured elsewhere in the shinobi world, as these were tri-blade kunai, bearing a resemblance to the ones used by the Fourth Hokage himself. He replaced his stock of kunai with these as well, feeling the quality and weight of the kunai.

He said, "How are these kunais lighted than my regular ones, although they are bigger? Are they hollow?" The woman laughed and said, "Hollow? What use is a hollow kunai? These kunai are made with a secret mould, known only to the Uchihas, which uses lesser metal, and the resultant kunai are light, but still as hard as the regular ones."

Sasuke continued perusing through all the boxes, but everything else was not to his taste. As he looked at the weapons hanging on the walls, a sleek silver katana caught his eye and he took it in his hands. The woman smiled and said, "You have fine taste. Itachi once liked this sword as well. However, when he was inducted into the ANBU, he got his own chokuto from them, so he replaced this sword with it."

Sasuke performed a few stances with the sword, and liked it very much. He sheathed it into its scabbard and stuck it into his belt. The woman said, "Is that all?" He nodded and she said, "Very well then. I wish you luck in your goal. You're going to need all the luck in the world to be able to win against Itachi."

The boy turned around without a word, and began to walk out of the hideout. As he reached the entrance, without turning, he said, "Thank you." and he was gone the next instant.

Naruto took a break, having worked his ass off the entire morning and afternoon. He thought, 'This is pretty hard work. I wonder how much time it will take to construct the entire village again.' All the rest of the boys from the Konoha 11 were taking a break as well. Kakashi walked over to them and said, "Tired?" He gave an eye smile as Naruto said, "You wish."

The white haired man said, "Don't over-exert yourself, Naruto. I know that you want the village to get on its feet immediately. But that will only work if all the shinobi in the village are able to function even after the village has been rebuilt." Naruto said, "It's taking so long, Kakashi-sensei."

The Jonin laughed and said, "What did you expect? This is one of the largest villages in the world. Of course it will take time to rebuild it." Naruto puffed his face out in annoyance. Just then, Ino marched over and Naruto jumped off the pile of wood he was sitting on. He said, "Hey, Ino-chan."

She said, "We need to talk."

Naruto was surprised with the serious reaction and said, "What's wrong, Ino-chan? Did I do something?" Ino saw the innocence in his eyes and her resolve almost melted. But she steeled herself in time and thought, 'I have to know. I can't let my feelings come in between this. Or I'll spend my entire life waiting for him to tell me himself.'

Kakashi saw the look in her eyes and realized what Ino was going to ask immediately. He said, "I'll get going back to work, you two sort out what you have to." He practically ran out of there. Ino said, "Take me to the top of the Fourth Hokage's monument." Naruto said, "Your wish is my command." Ino held out her hand and he took it. In a pinch, they were atop the Fourth's head.

Ino said, "Tell me how you can do this."

Naruto was confused. "Do what?"

Ino said, "THIS? How are you so fast? What is this secret of yours that no one must know? Something that the Hokage needs to make a Blood Oath to keep? I have to know, Naruto. There should be no secrets among us."

Naruto said weakly, "I...I can't tell you right now, Ino. It's not the right time." Ino said, "Naruto, if you don't tell me, I'll take it as an indication that you don't love me." Naruto was shocked and said, "How could you say something like that, Ino-chan? I love you more than myself!"

Ino turned away and said, "It's your choice. If you don't tell me, it's over between us." In her mind, she thought, 'If he still doesn't tell me, what then? I can't stay away from him!' Naruto sighed and said dully, "Fine, Ino-chan. But only because I love you, and I can't live without you." Ino's eyes sparkled with excitement and she turned towards him. Before she could say anything, however, Naruto said, "But I will need you to take a Blood Oath as well. This secret cannot get out, no matter what. Memory loss will be sufficient, though, I don't want you to die."

Ino said, "Alright, Naruto." She pulled the top of her dress lower a little, and bit her thumb. With the blood that flowed, she inscribed the kanji for 'Honor' just above her left breast. As the blood faded into her body, she said, "I, Ino Yamanaka, hereby take this Blood Oath for Naruto Uzumaki, proclaiming never to reveal the information that he is about to tell me, to anyone who does not know of it beforehand. Should I do so, I shall lose all information related to this topic."

Naruto said, "Okay, that should do it. Now, this story starts during the beginning of my training trip with Pervy Sage." Ino leaned in closer to listen and Naruto began recounting his tales...

_Jiraiya said, "Naruto, do you know the main reason for the development of the Shadow Clone Jutsu?" A thirteen year old Naruto replied, "Isn't it to gain an advantage in fights?" Jiraiya shook his head gently and said, "Haven't you ever felt something in you head every time one of your clones dispersed?" _

_Naruto said in confusion, "Not really, no. But I usually used so many clones that something might happen, but I wouldn't be focusing on it." Jiraiya said, "I thought as much. Okay listen. I want you to make a clone and send it into the trees in front. Have it go a hundred meters in only. There, your clone will find something. Give him instructions to disperse as soon as he finds whatever it is." _

_Naruto nodded and put his hands together, signing and said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" One clone came next to him and he relayed the information that Jiraiya had just told him, to the clone. The clone Naruto immediately ran into the trees. A few seconds later, a faint popping sound indicated that the clone had vanished, and Naruto frowned, "Why would you leave your Icha Icha Paradise book there?"_

_Jiraiya facepalmed and said, "That is not important. Don't you understand what happened just now? Along with your chakra, the shadow clone returns all its memories to you. Its memories become your memories. Did you know what was in the forest before your clone went in?" Naruto shook his head and then said, "Okay, I kinda get what you mean. So whatever my clones see, I can see as well after they disperse?" _

_The old man said, "In a nutshell, yes. Which is why Shadow Clones are extremely useful in missions which involve espionage, or spying. They can infiltrate an enemy stronghold, and gain intel on the positions of all the guards, then vanish without anyone realizing it, and the original will be able to map the locations of all the guards, and use it to launch a surprise attack. That is the reason that it was labelled a KinJutsu. Do you get it now?" Naruto nodded and said, "I get it. But how do this help me in close combat? Didn't you saw that I should be focusing on that since TaiJutsu is my best fighting style?"_

_Jiraiya said, "At present, you have no fighting style. Your moves are sloppy, and slow. You have poor chakra control. You would definitely not be able to fight on water. I am going to train you in different ways, so that you can become strong overall. But first, I am going to try an idea which I think would be wonderful if you did it, since you regenerate so quickly."_

_Naruto said, "What is that?" The Sannin said, "I am going to make you create clones, out of your own blood." Naruto was confused and he said, "Why, Pervy Sage?" Jiraiya said, "Your clones are extremely weak, Naruto. You need to have stronger clones in order to help you in battle." _

_Naruto said, "My clones are not weak!" Jiraiya said, "Now, now. No need to get snippy. Shadow clones by their very nature are weak. This is because they are constructs made purely out of chakra, which is the reason that most of them don't even last a single hit. Your clones can take a couple of hits, but only because your chakra is extremely potent. Being an Uzumaki, that is to be expected."_

_Naruto said, "But still, can't you teach me something else, like a new jutsu or something?" Jiraiya said, "You have a good base in the Shadow Clone Jutsu, which is why you will be able to master something like this more easily than other shinobi. And since the blood that you use is of your own body, you will have a direct link with the clones you create. Which means that every time one of your clones is defeated, all its remaining chakra will come back to you. That doesn't happen with the Shadow Clones. And speaking about other jutsus, there is still time for that. We should begin with your strengths and perfect them." _

_Naruto slowly nodded, soaking in all the information. He finally said, "Alright, I get it now. So, what do you think, how many of these clones can I make at one time?" The older man said, "Well, based on how much chakra you have at a given point of time, along with the amount of blood you can lose without dropping dead, I would say around twenty strong Blood Clones, or thirty moderate ones. Weak ones are not worth creating." _

_The boy said, "How am I supposed to transform my blood into clones, though? I have never even worked with those nature elements that you were talking about, so how would I be able to control blood?" Jiraiya said, "There is an ancient technique that was one part of the Uzumaki bloodline. The ability to manipulate blood. That ability lies dormant within you. The reason that you regenerate so quickly is not only because you are the Kyuubi's container, but also because you have high levels of chakra and sheer willpower passed down from your ancestors for centuries."_

_Naruto scratched his head in confusion and said, "So, I have a bloodline limit? Like Sasuke?" Jiraiya nodded and said, "And I intend to bring out the best in you with it. But for that, we will have to travel to a place which no one believes exists anymore." _

_Naruto asked in excitement, "Where is that?" _

_The older man said, "Uzushiogakure."_

Ino said, "So, you have a Kekkei Genkai as well?" Naruto nodded and said, "I still have to learn much more about it." Ino asked, "What about Uzushiogakure?" The knucklehead said, "I'm getting there, hold on." He continued his story, and Ino listened with rapt attention.

"_Well, here we are."_

_Naruto looked at the wide expanse of land in front of him, and said, "What the heck? There's nothing here!" Jiraiya said, "The Uzushiogakure was destroyed a long time ago. The ruins of the village that remain here were sealed at the time they were massacred, and only a true Uzumaki can enter the sealed area. The rest of the world sees a blank space here, which is a GenJutsu of the highest degree, not even broken by the Sharingan or Byakugan. I once brought Kakashi here to test it, but even he could not see through the GenJutsu. Once you step into the land in front of us, you will find yourself in the ruins of the village, most probably. From there, it is up to you to get me in. You will most probably have to find some sort of seal which you must remove in order to remove the GenJutsu that is cast over this place."_

_The boy said, "That sounds very hard, Pervy Sage. I don't have a grasp on GenJutsu anyway. And how do I find some seal that i don't even know where to look for?" Jiraiya said, "First of all, you won't have to deal with the GenJutsu. Sensing your chakra and blood, it will probably dispel itself for you. If not, we will try something else. But the first step is to get yourself in. Go." _

_Naruto shrugged and ran down the cliff they were standing on, overlooking the blank expanse in front of them. As he reached around the middle of the cliff descent, he suddenly felt the air around him change and become much colder. He shivered, wondering whether this was the effect of the GenJutsu or whether it was the feeling of excitement at seeing his mother's village for the first time. As he took a step forward, a grating noise occurred in front of him, and he all of a sudden, his eyes shut due to a blinding light._

_As the pressure of light on his eyes lessened, Naruto opened his right eye, wondering what had just happened. His eye went wide, and he opened his other eye as well, gazing upon a wondrous sight. His mouth fell open, gazing at the size of the village in front of him. It had to be at least three times as large as the leaf village. It looked wonderful even in the ruinous state that it was in._

_Naruto forgot all about Jiraiya and his training as his eyes feasted upon the ruins. He walked in front and looked at the stone walls and doors surrounding the village, understanding what the grating noise had been of. He wished he had four more eyes as he stepped into the village, his head craned around, looking at the sheer number of buildings that had been built around the place, and wondering what had happened to make this place so desolate. Just then, he remembered why he was here and he thought to himself, "I should get Pervy Sage here before I look around." He looked at the gates, wondering if there was any sort of seal on them, but found nothing. _

_The boy grinned and brought his hands together into their most famous move, signing , "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Five hundred clones came into existence around the gates, and Naruto stood atop the gates, and shouted, "LISTEN UP! We need to get Pervy Sage in here so we need to find the seal that is causing the GenJutsu and get rid of it." The clones all nodded and he said, "Tear off anything that looks like a seal and report back here. Or better still, dismiss yourself after tearing off any seal."_

_All the clones took off and the knucklehead waited. Soon, clones began to disappear left and right. His eyes opened in wonder, thinking, 'How many seals are there in this village?' In under a half an hour, all of Naruto's clones had disappeared, and he had to create more in order to continue the gargantuan task that he had unknowingly found. The amount of clones he had to create took a lot out of him. _

_The boy wondered whether he would be able to get Jiraiya in without being completely exhausted. Then he suddenly remembered that there could be another way that he could get Jiraiya in here. He thought about what Gamabunta had once told him about the Summoning Jutsu. He recalled the words, 'You can be summoned to our domain as well.' The boy thought about trying it, but realized that he was too low on chakra to do anything else. Just then, one of his clones disappeared and the memories of the clone flowed into the boy's mind. A triumphant grin crossed his face as he turned around and saw Jiraiya walking over to the village. _

_The old man said, "Well, you did it much faster than I expected you to. Imagine my surprise when I suddenly saw an entire village appear out of nowhere in front of my eyes. I hadn't expected you to be able to find out how to get rid of the GenJutsu so quickly." Naruto said, "I used one of my oldest tricks. I had to create a thousand clones in order to find the seal. One of my clones finally found a seal in one of the temples around here, and tore it off. As soon as he did, a kunai buried itself into his back and he was dispelled." _

_Jiraiya said, "Well, that's a good thing. Now, let's find out where in this wide place are the archives of the village." Naruto said, "Wait, I think I know. I saw the memories of one of my clones passing by something that looked like a library. Let's see if that is the place." Jiraiya was impressed and said, "You've already began to use your clones memories? Very nice, Naruto, I am very pleased. If you progress so fast, then you will become very strong in no time." _

_Naruto said, "Let's go, then. I think it was this way." Jiraiya began to follow the young boy, who turned left and right deftly, without hesitating. They walked at a brisk pace, and in a few minutes, they reached the library which Naruto was talking about. The boy said, "This feels weird. This place feels so deserted." Jiraiya nodded and said, "I know what you mean. I've seen many deserted places, but this one feels a lot different." He looked up at the library, and said, "I guess we should get going. This place might hold the answers we seek." _

_The door of the library opened with a rusty creak, and the teacher-student pair entered inside. Naruto said, "Well, this sucks." _

_The entire library was filled with dust, and they could barely make out any books because of it. Jiraiya grinned and said, "Not to worry, Naruto, I have a couple of Jutsus which can take care of this dust." He signed quickly and said, "Wind Style: Giant Sweep-through Jutsu!" The layer of dust was practically lifted off by a gust of wind, and at Jiraiya's hand movements, it began to fly out of the door. He walked up to the door and signed again, saying, "Wind Style: Four Winds Scattering!"_

_The dust which had now accumulated outside the door was quickly scattered around the village by the Jutsu. Jiraiya turned back in and saw the result, smiling as all the books shone in the dim light from the door. He said, "There's gotta be a switch somewhere around here. Find it, Naruto." The boy, who was still stunned from the way in which Jiraiya had been able to get rid of the dust so easily, nodded dumbly and began to search the walls. Finally, he found something that looked like a switch, and flipped it. To his surprise, lights actually began to flare around the room, and the old man said, "Well, it looks like the village is still in a working state. Who would have thought that the Uzushiogakure would still have so much life left in it?"_

_Naruto stepped over to his teacher, who was now perusing the books on the shelves nearest to him. "Hmm, these are all novels. They won't do any good for you right about now. We need to find...some jutsu related books. Let's see something else." He walked over to the last few shelves in the library, and noticed a scroll, almost hidden away in a corner of a shelf. It looked like it had been placed there in a hurry._

_Jiraiya opened the scroll, only to find it blank. He nodded grimly and said, "Naruto, take a look at this scroll and see if you can find anything written on it." Naruto took the scroll in his hand, and suddenly, a faint glow emitted from it. A moment later, the scroll revealed what was written in it. _

_Naruto read, "The attack on the Uzushiogakure came at a most unexpected time. Thousands were slaughtered, men, women and children, no one was spared. The few that managed to escape were scattered around the globe. I, Roushi Uzumaki, leave this scroll in the hopes that one day, an Uzumaki will one day find it, and be able to avenge the clan. This scroll contains co-ordinates to my archives of Jutsus. I have spent my life painstakingly collecting all the books and scrolls related to FuinJutsu and NinJutsu, along with all the secret Jutsus of the Uzumakis. I hope that one day, a true Uzumaki will be able to uncover the secrets that I myself was unable to. This scroll is going to be put under a seal, so that only an Uzumaki can read it. Therefore, I know that if someone is reading it, that person will have to be one of my clan. I urge you to go to my archives and learn all there is to learn. It was too late for me, but I do believe that someone will be able to unlock the true potential of the Uzumakis."_

_Naruto looked up at Jiraiya and said, "There are a set of numbers here." Jiraiya took a look, but was still unable to see anything. Confused, he said, "I thought the seal had been broken when you touched the scroll. I guess this Roushi guy was really a genius. Tell me the numbers, they must be co-ordinates." Naruto read the numbers, and Jiraiya took them down onto a piece of paper. Then he said, "Alright, then. Let's get to work. First of all, I need to see what else is there in this library that is interesting. Shadow Clone Jutsu!" _

_Ten clones of Jiraiya popped into existence, and began to peruse the library quickly. Around an hour later, the clones all came out of the library, where the original and Naruto were waiting. There were around twenty books, and an armful of scrolls among them. Jiraiya brought out another scroll, and opened it. He drew a few kanji on it and told the clones to place all the books and scrolls on it. The clones did as they were told and then dispelled themselves. Jiraiya signed and the books and scrolls disappeared. The man sealed the scroll shut and put it into his pocket. _

_Naruto said, "What was that? Where did the books go?" Jiraiya said, "I sealed them into the scroll, so that I don't have to lug them around with me." Naruto said, "That is so cool! I want to learn that!" Jiraiya said, "I told you, I will teach you everything, but it will take some time. Right now, we need to head to the co-ordinates that Roushi Uzumaki has given us." Naruto nodded and the two of them began to walk, Jiraiya using the sun to map the approximate co-ordinates of where they were._

_After a few hours of walking, they finally reached outside a large house. It looked better than the other buildings that the two of them had seen up until now, but then, the house itself was in a more secluded part of the village. Naruto said, "Is this the place?" His mentor replied, "It's got to be, it's the only place which the co-ordinates could lead to. Let's go." They cautiously entered the house, but nothing out of the ordinary happened and Jiraiya frowned. He said, "I thought that Roushi would have done something to protect the house, given how much cautiousness he showed in sealing the scroll we found."_

_Naruto said, "Perhaps he didn't have the time?" Jiraiya nodded, thinking what could have happened to Roushi that wouldn't allow him to seal his own house. From the looks of the scroll, the man had been a wonderful seal master, although the Uzumakis were known for their sealing abilities anyway. He thought, 'Well, we may never know. I guess I should just find the scrolls and books that he had gathered, and teach Naruto all I can.' He entered into the main living room, and saw that the house was of a simple design, despite looking luxurious from the outside. There were a few doors, leading to more rooms, presumably, and a flight of stairs, leading to the first floor. Jiraiya thought, 'If this guy stored the books somewhere secret, it's got to be in a place that most people wouldn't give a second thought about. Where could that be? Mostly, people looking for something would check in the basement, but seeing how intelligent he was, he probably figured that out. Unless he knew that most people would figure that he figured that out and would actually keeps the scrolls in the basement, hoping that people would not search there because they thought he wouldn't keep the books there. Argh!'_

_Naruto said, "Hey, Pervy Sage, look here." He saw the boy looking at a book shelf, and said, "What is it, Naruto?" The boy pointed to the shelf and they saw another scroll hidden there. Jiraiya said, "Well, read it, of course." Naruto opened the scroll, and words again magically appeared onto the scroll. He read, "So, since you are reading this, I have to imagine that you found your way here from the co-ordinates correctly. I have hidden the books and scrolls in the basement, so that most people would not look there, figuring that it is the most common place to hide something." Jiraiya facepalmed and thought, 'I was right after all.' _

_Naruto kept on reading, "Head down to the basement. It is through the first door on the left of the living room, through the cellar door in the kitchen. There, you will find everything kept neatly, unless someone else was able to somehow break in before. I have arranged every book and scroll according to the type of Jutsus it contains. You should have no problem finding whatever you require. I wish you all the best and hope that you can one day find the people who killed us all, and avenge us. This is your legacy now."_

_Jiraiya said, "Very well, then. Let's go and begin to fulfil your legacy, Naruto." He opened the door to the left of the living room and went in. Naruto kept the scroll back into place and followed him. As he entered the kitchen, he saw Jiraiya opening another door, that seemed to be set in the floor. He followed the man down and saw a dimly lit room underneath, with what looked like thousands of books and scrolls._

_Jiraiya whistled and said, "Holy shit! This will take years of reading to understand how much there is! How did this man gather so much information anyway? Amazing!" He walked over to a shelf that was named 'NinJutsus' and took out a book. "Uzumaki Whirlwind Style." He opened the book and his eyes widened as he saw all the information written on the books._

_Naruto meanwhile had gone over to a shelf that said, "Kekkei Genkai." He remembered what Jiraiya had told him about having a bloodline and said, "Pervy Sage, is this the bloodline thing you were telling me about?" Jiraiya looked over at the shelf and said, "Yes, that is it. Hold on." He kept the book back into place, and walked over to Naruto. He took out a scroll from the shelf, and opened it. It read, "Basics of Blood Manipulation. Written by Uzushi Uzumaki." _

_Jiraiya said, "Well, looks like Roushi even managed to get the village founder's scrolls in here. How on earth did he manage that?" Naruto was confused. He said, "Village founder?" Jiraiya said, "Yes, Uzushi Uzumaki was the founder of this village. His clan settled here on the outskirts of the Land of Fire, only a day's travel away from the Hidden Leaf. Uzushi Uzumaki was a distant blood relative of the Senjus, and Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, was married to Mito Uzumaki, thus strengthening the bonds between the two villages."_

_Naruto nodded and said, "Alright. Well, what do you think? Can all of this help me become stronger?" Jiraiya laughed and said, "Help you? It could possibly make you the strongest ninja the world has ever seen! Even I am thinking of studying alongside you and improving all of my skills! This is knowledge lost to the world, and any ninja who wields this power would be unbeatable." _

_Naruto's eyes shone and he said, "COOL! WHEN DO WE BEGIN!" Jiraiya said, "Well, first of all, we need to find a place to stay. Big as this house is, I don't like the feeling of staying in a place as deserted as this. I say we take all the books with us and go to some place where we can study and train in peace." Naruto said, "Is there such a place?" Jiraiya said, "Of course there is."_

_The two of them spent more than a day in Uzushiogakure, collecting all the books and scrolls, and storing them into Jiraiya's large scrolls. After they were finally done, they took a rest over there itself. The next day, early morning, Jiraiya said, "Come on, Naruto. It's time to leave. We should get going as soon as we can, so we can begin your training." _

_Naruto nodded, but as they left the village, he looked back, wondering whether he would ever be able to make it back here. A tear escaped his eyes, and he realized that this place was closer to his heart than he would ever have thought. Something about it made him feel sad and happy at the same time, proud and ashamed at the same time, angry and scared at the same time. He said, "Pervy Sage."_

_Jiraiya turned around and said, "Yes?" Naruto said, "I want to come back here after our training is done." Jiraiya understood the feelings of the boy and said, "Of course. We will come back when I finish training you." As they turned to leave, somehow, the village shone in a bright light again, and when Naruto turned around to look at it again, it was no longer there._

_He stopped again, wondering what the hell was going on, and Jiraiya looked back to see him staring at the wide expanse of land. He said, "So, it was a self-resuscitating seal that your clone destroyed, Naruto. Ingenious. So now the village hides itself from everyone's eyes again." Naruto understood and he turned around again, following Jiraiya to the place where he would become the strongest shinobi in the world._

Ino said, "You're still not telling me how you got so fast."

Naruto said, "You want to hear the story or not? Everything I'm saying right now is related to my strength and speed." Ino sighed and said, "Fine, go on." Just then, one of Naruto's clones in the Land of Fire dispelled and the memories of the clones flowed into his mind. He shouted, "I GOT HIM!" He turned to Ino and said, "Sorry, I've got to go. I found Itachi. I'll tell you the rest later, when I return. See ya!" Ino said, "Naruto, wait!" But he disappeared in a flash and she pouted. Then she realized where they had been sitting and decided to head back to helping the village out.

Naruto reappeared in a forest area, where his clone had dispelled. He thought, 'Now, where is Itachi?' Just then, he saw Kisame Hoshigaki, walking slowly along side another cloaked figure. Naruto sat on the tree branch, unmoving, and began to gather nature energy, while all the time sensing the movements of Itachi. As he felt his energy begin to overflow, he jumped off the branch and landed right in front of the former Akatsuki members.

Kisame jumped in front of Itachi and faced Naruto, saying, "Go away, Uzumaki Naruto. We have no quarrel with you." Naruto said, "I'm sorry, but I can't just leave. I have to bring Itachi back to the village, so that Sasuke will finally come back." Itachi said, "Kisame, allow me."

Kisame reluctantly turned back and stood next to Itachi. The man lifted the hood off his head, and Naruto noted with shock, that one of his eyes was faint. Itachi said, "Greetings, Uzumaki Naruto. We meet again. It seems that you have been searching for me." Naruto nodded and said, "I made a deal with Sasuke to help him kill you, so that he would finally come back to the village."

Itachi said, "Unfortunately, I do not believe the Sasuke will ever come back, even if he does kill me." Naruto said, "Why not? That's his only goal in life. Once that is accomplished, he will come back." Itachi sighed and said, "Sasuke is no longer the shinobi he once was. He is blinded by hatred, and will never be able to resume the life he once led. I know, because I set him on this path, not knowing how blind he would become. I had only intended to make him strong, but I didn't realize that I would make him cruel and ruthless in the process."

Naruto said, "I will bring him back to village, no matter what." Itachi smiled sadly and said, "I know that you will try, but I don't think that anything you say will have any effect on him now." The boy was frustrated and said, "Why did you do this? Why did you slaughter your entire clan? If you tell me, I might be able to make Sasuke see reason." Itachi hung his head down, and said, "Whatever I did, I did for the sake of the village. I do not expect you to understand the sacrifices that I made in order to keep the village safe."

Naruto was extremely confused and said angrily, "You kept the village safe?! You're an S-ranked criminal, and the entire village hates you!" Kisame growled, "You don't know anything about Itachi. You have no idea about what kind of life he has led, so don't talk like you know him." Naruto said, "What is there to know? He slaughtered his entire clan in cold blood, and ran off, leaving Sasuke alive and mentally scarred for life. He is the reason that I have lost my best friend to darkness, and no matter how hard I try, Sasuke is not able to see reason. All because of Itachi."

Kisame growled, "WHY YOU..." Itachi placed his hand on Kisame's shoulder and said, "Don't, Kisame. Naruto is right. Everything that he said is right." Kisame said, "But he..." Itachi cut in, "Doesn't know the truth. "

Naruto said, "I'm not going to let you go without learning the truth that you speak of, Itachi. What is it that you are hiding? Why do you keep Sasuke alive every time you defeat him? Why not end his suffering?" Itachi said, "I have decided that I shall answer your questions now, Naruto Uzumaki. I only hope that you will come to understand what I did and why I did it."

A whirl of wind blew through the forest, and Itachi's eyes transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan. Naruto got ready to fight, but Itachi held up his hand and said, "I am not going to fight. I only wish for you to see the truth through my perspective. Tsukuyomi."

Naruto suddenly felt himself being pulled into a world which was orange and black. He recalled Sasuke describing this world to Kakashi and said, "Wait a minute. This is a GenJutsu world that tortures the victims!" Itachi appeared next to him and said, "The Tsukuyomi is not only a GenJutsu for torturing. It can also be used to help people. I will show you what I have gone through using it. Just keep calm and watch."

A series of images flashed in front of Naruto's eyes. He saw a tender Itachi of age three practising the first hand signs he had been taught. He saw a five year old Itachi performing the Fireball Jutsu, and a seven year old Itachi graduating from the Academy. He saw an eight year old Itachi showing his father his newly activated Sharingan. He saw the gleam in the father's eyes as he saw Itachi's potential.

Naruto saw the flashes of Itachi becoming the youngest ANBU Captain at the age of thirteen. He saw how Itachi played the ultimate double role of a spy for the Uchihas as well as the spy for the Third Hokage. Saw how the Uchihas planned to take over the village in a coup-de-atat. Saw how the Hokage tried to stop things peacefully. How Danzo tried to take things into his own hands. How Itachi watched Shisui die in front of his eyes.

He saw how Itachi spoke to Tobi, who asked him to join the Akatsuki. In return, Itachi asked him to spare the life of Sasuke. Naruto saw how Itachi cut down the members of his clan, tears running through his eyes as he did. How he faltered, while killing his mother and father. How his father told him that he was proud of him, no matter what choice Itachi made. How Itachi faced Sasuke and lied to him, in order to turn Sasuke against him.

Itachi's Sharingan turned back to normal, and Naruto felt himself returning to the normal world. He saw Itachi holding his right eye with his hands, and blood flowing through them. Naruto said, "You...you were never against the Leaf village?" Itachi shook his head and said, "I was the ultimate tool for the village. I was the spy who gave his own life for the sake of protecting the village. I joined the Akatsuki as a spy and helped give information to the village. Jiraiya-san himself was the one who took my reports every month. I quit the Akatsuki some time ago, around the same time when you killed Danzo, in order to take control of the Root organization."

He removed his hands from his eyes, wiping the blood from them and said, "I have lived as a liar my entire life, protecting the village from the shadows. I even killed my own clan in order to keep the village safe. My only mistake was not to tell Sasuke the truth. At that time, I wanted Sasuke to become strong, so strong that he would be able to kill me, and end my suffering. But I could never have predicted what he would do in order to become strong."

Naruto sat on the ground, breathing heavily as he processed all of this information. He said, "So, Pervy Sage knew all of this?" Itachi said gently, "Do not begrudge him, Naruto, he took a Blood Oath to keep this a secret, as did the Third Hokage, and now the Fifth Hokage as well."

Naruto kept breathing heavily, not knowing what to do, or what to say. The truth that Itachi had told him had been overwhelming. He could not understand how a person would kill their entire family, all for the sake of the village. He got up slowly, and said, "I...I don't know what to say. Why did you never tell Sasuke the truth?" Itachi replied, "Sasuke's mind is still fragile. The truth would have killed him. He believes that the Uchiha clan was a great clan, and would not accept the truth at first. But when it would sink in, the emotion behind it would be too great for him to handle."

Naruto felt a tear running down his cheek, and slowly wiped it away. He croaked, "I've been wrong about you my entire life. I thought that you were a criminal. I..." Itachi stopped him and said quietly, "Not only you, but everyone in the shinobi world believes the same. I gave up my normal life for the village, so that I could protect it. That was the price I paid in order to do this." Naruto said, "So, if you quit the Akatsuki and became the head of Root, that means..."

Itachi smiled and said, "That's right. I have been living in the Hidden Leaf village for quite some time now." Naruto shouted, "THAT'S why I was feeling like I've seen you in the village! I used to wonder why you felt familiar in that ANBU uniform! It was you that day on my building rooftop, wasn't it? And that day when I wanted to talk to Grandma Tsunade, that was you with her, right?"

Itachi nodded and said, "You are more intelligent than I thought, Naruto. But then, why didn't you say anything at that time?" Naruto said, "I trusted Grandma Tsunade enough not to say anything. But I always felt that something was amiss." Itachi said, "I hope that you now understand what I have gone through in my life." Naruto nodded, saying, "I do. But what about Sasuke now? He is still searching for you and will not rest until he kills you."

Itachi said, "Unfortunately, I am longer able to influence Sasuke. He will not listen to me any more.I leave Sasuke up to you. How he is handled is now your responsibility. If you manage to wear him down, I have no doubt that you could bring him back to the village, one day or another." He continued, "I must go now. Farewell, Naruto Uzumaki. And good luck." As Naruto watched, the duo disappeared.

Naruto suddenly remembered about Ino and thought, 'She's going to be crazy mad at me now.' He quickly headed back to the Leaf village, and found Ino working at the medicine stall along with Shizune. As soon as she saw him, her face turned angry. Naruto came walking over and said, "Ino-chan, I..." Ino turned away from him and said, "I don't want to listen to anything, Naruto. I thought that you loved me."

Shizune stared at the two of them in confusion. Naruto requested her to give them a couple of minutes, and she nodded, walking off. Naruto came up behind Ino, and gently tapped her on the shoulder. She didn't turn around, so Naruto turned her around. She gave him a look he had never seen before, and he was amazed at the anger in her eyes.

She said, "You ran off in the middle of the story, not even caring whether I felt anything about it or not." Naruto said gently, "I understand your anger, Ino-chan. But you must know that I didn't go to have fun. I went there to capture Itachi Uchiha." Ino said, "I don't care. You left me on my own, and ran off. How could you?" Naruto gathered Ino up in his arms. She tried to break free, but he held her firmly. He said, "I promise I won't do anything like that again, Ino-chan. I love you, so much that it hurt me as much as it hurt you, having to leave like that."

Ino said, "Why is Itachi so important to you?" Naruto smiled and said, "I've just learned something about him that will even shock you. Come, let's talk. I promise that I won't leave again. I'll talk until you are satisfied." Ino nodded, and the two of them disappeared, reaching the top of the Fourth's head again. Naruto proceeded with his story from where he had left off.


	43. Chapter 43: Naruto's Secret: Part 2

**Author's Note:** Umm, hey guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys today. Before you proceed, I would like to share why I was unable to post last week. My grandfather passed away last Tuesday at the ripe age of 86. He meant the world to me, and we were extremely close to each other. I was in shock when I heard the news, because he was completely healthy, and died simply of old age. I never thought that he would leave me, and it fills me with an emptiness similar to when Naruto lost Jiraiya in the canon story. So, I hope that you guys understand, and without further ado, I present the next chapter today. Happy Reading, guys!

**Chapter 43: Naruto's Secret – Part 2**

_Jiraiya stopped walking and Naruto, in his own thoughts, bumped into him. Jiraiya looked behind in surprise and the boy said, "Sorry, I've been distracted ever since we left Uzushiogakure." Jiraiya said, "That is to be expected. However, you have to stop thinking about it so much, Naruto. Look, we've reached." He pointed, and Naruto looked at the large town that they had reached the outskirts of. He said, "We're gonna train in the town?" Jiraiya shook his head and said, "We're gonna be training in the fields outside the other side of the town. We will stay in the town during night." Naruto simply nodded his understanding. _

_Jiraiya looked at the boy's expression, which was rather dull, and thought, 'Looks like the trip to Uzushiogakure took a harder toll on the kid than I thought it would. He's not ready to accept his feelings, and that's making it harder for him to forget about it. I wonder how long it will take for him to let go.' He smiled and said, "Let's go, there's a nice ramen restaurant here that you will enjoy." Naruto's face lit up at the sound of ramen, and he said, "Alright, let's go!"_

_The older man began walking and Naruto followed him eagerly, forgetting about Uzushiogakure for a while. The two of them had a great lunch at the restaurant, and then went to book a hotel room. After they were done, Naruto said, "What do we do now, Pervy Sage?" The Sannin thought for a while and replied, "Well, I'm gonna go to sleep. I want you to start reading this." _

_He took out one of his scrolls and unsealed it. He removed one of the other scrolls from within and gave it to Naruto. It was the scroll containing the basics of Blood Manipulation that they had found in Roushi's archives. Naruto's face fell at the mundane task that he was being given, but Jiraiya looked at him sternly and said, "You must learn to read if you want to become a great ninja. How long will you keep winning by dumb luck and burning large amounts of chakra?" _

_Naruto's face puffed out in annoyance, but inside his own head, he had been thinking the same things for quite some time. Jiraiya said, "The Third Hokage was called a Professor, Naruto, because of the enormous knowledge he possessed. It is said that he mastered every jutsu of the Hidden Leaf Village. The Yondaime was a similarly gifted person, who spent large amounts of his time in research. That is why he was able to come up with something like the Rasengan."_

_Naruto understood his mentor's words and replied, "Don't worry, Pervy Sage. I'll do whatever it takes to become Hokage." Jiraiya said, "Get to reading the scroll, then. After you're done, get a good night's rest. We'll be training at dawn tomorrow." Naruto nodded and the Sannin went over to his bed, and tucked himself in. Naruto began reading the scroll, trying not to get bored. But as he read the introductory part of the scroll and saw the amount of information it contained, his eyes got glued to the parchment. As he read, a thought crossed his mind and he quickly intoned, "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Four more clones popped into existence, and he said, "Take those scrolls from Pervy Sage's scroll. See the ones which involve Blood Manipulation, and begin to read them." The clones immediately went and picked up a couple of scrolls each, and sat down cross-legged to read. _

_A couple of hours later, Naruto woke Jiraiya up and said, "Pervy Sage, I finished reading five of the scrolls." Jiraiya was amazed and said, "What! How did you read five scrolls so quickly?" Naruto said, "You told me that Shadow Clones transfer their memories to me when they disappear, right? So I created four other clones and between the five of us, we read five scrolls pretty fast. I think I've got the basic idea of how to manipulate blood." _

_Jiraiya was stunned. He thought, 'This boy...no matter what anyone else says, he's a genius! Who would've thought about using clones in this manner? It's unheard of!' He decided to get Naruto to a field outside the town in order to start the training as soon as possible. Naruto was now waiting for Jiraiya eagerly, wondering what was going on in the old man's head. The self-proclaimed pervert said, "Alright, get some sleep now. We'll begin training tomorrow. If you think you've got the hang of it, we'll go and see what you might be able to do." Naruto suddenly realized how sleepy he was, and began to get ready to sleep. Jiraiya was already back in bed, and the two of them began snoring almost immediately._

_The next day, a couple of minutes after sunrise, Jiraiya was up and he shook Naruto awake as well. "Come on, Naruto, it's time to train." Naruto opened his eyes, and nodded sleepily. After the two of them got ready, they locked the hotel room, and headed outside. After a while, the two of them reached a deserted field outside the town. Jiraiya said, "Alright, so let's begin at the basics. What did the scroll contain?" Naruto said, "Basically, the scroll was an introduction to manipulating blood. Just like ninjas can control elements like wind, fire, lightning etc., my clan was able to control their own blood. They could slit their palms and let the blood out, and then manipulate it to create spears of blood, or senbon, and many different weapons. But I haven't read too much, so I don't know if I'll be able to make clones out of blood."_

_Jiraiya said, "Hmm. That is interesting. Don't worry about the clones, I think you will be able to do that perfectly. You have a lot of experience in creating Shadow Clones. All you have to do is perform the same Jutsu, mixing your blood into the chakra that you use. But for that, first you need blood. Come on, let's make it happen." Naruto took out a kunai from his pocket, and quiclky cut his palm lightly. A spray of blood went up into the air, and spilled onto the grass around them. As they watched, the cut began to heal immediately. Naruto closed his eyes and focused for a few seconds. Then he put his hands into the Ram seal, and opened his eyes all of a sudden. Jiraiya noticed that the boy's pupils had dilated. The air ___ around him _began to become warmer. As Jiraiya watched closely, Naruto's chakra started becoming visible to him. He saw a faint aura of chakra surrounding the boy. _

_Naruto held his right hand out, keeping the left perfectly in shape as it was before, when he was doing the Ram seal. As he lifted his hand higher, the blood on the grass began to lift up, and slowly started getting pulled towards his hand, like an iron ball pulled towards a magnet. Naruto kept up the force of chakra, and soon, there was a perfectly shaped round ball of blood, around a couple of inches in diameter, in his hand. Jiraiya watched in awe, as Naruto closed his eyes again, and the ball began to split at the edges, become longer and longer. Slowly, it took on the shape of a kunai. Naruto opened his eyes again, and Jiraiya watched his eyes radiate with anticipation. The knucklehead threw the kunai at a nearby tree. It whizzed past Jiraiya, leaving him dumbfounded at the speed at which it had travelled._

_The kunai hit the tree and a split second later, there was a perfect slit in the tree where the kunai had gone straight through. Naruto panted from the effort, and the kunai dropped to the ground, turning back into the blood it was made of. Naruto dropped to his knees all of a sudden. Jiraiya picked him up and said, "What happened, Naruto? You were doing wonderfully!" Naruto said, "I knew this could happen. It was written in the scroll as well. It said that the first few times, trying this would go very hard on the learner. But as one developed the skill, he/she would be able to perform tougher moves with ease." Jiraiya said, "I guess that's enough for today. I was really impressed, Naruto. You performed such a tough task so easily. Come on, let's get you up and go back to the hotel. We'll continue after a while." Naruto nodded weakly and Jiraiya half-supported, half-carried him back to the hotel. Before they reached, Naruto was cradled up in his arms, sleeping like a small child who has had a long day of fun. Jiraiya looked down at the boy in his hands and thought, 'You will no doubt do something great to change this world, Naruto. I can just feel it.' _

Ino said, "Wow! You can actually manipulate blood then? Amazing! I just thought that the Blood Clone Jutsu is some sort of a secret jutsu!" Naruto shook his head and said, "It is really tough to make them, though. The Pervy Sage thought that I could make at least twenty strong clones, but I can only manage about five before I get exhausted. But each of those is almost as strong as me."

Ino said, "What happened then?" Naruto continued his tale.

_For the next six months, Jiraiya and Naruto continued to live in the town, working on the jutsus in the scrolls and books which they had brought from Roushi's archives. If not those, Jiraiya would summon a female toad, Gamariki, and make her practise her GenJutsu on Naruto, who would try and try, but would be unsuccessful in breaking her jutsus. Naruto sighed, as he tried hard, but he couldn't get the hang of GenJutsus. It frustrated him to no end. Jiraiya said, "You mustn't be so hard on yourself, Naruto. Even i am extremely weak in GenJutsu. There are certain traits to a shinobi. Very few are able to achieve high level TaiJutsu, NinJutsu, and GenJutsu. You have already become better in TaiJutsu, and your NinJutsu is already very good. So it's okay if you can't get GenJutsu right." Naruto said, "That's insane! What use is TaiJutsu and NinJutsu if the opponent uses a GenJutsu against me that makes them invisible or something?" Jiraiya said, "That is why I am trying to teach you to dispel GenJutsus, aren't I?" Naruto sighed again and said, "Why is it not working then, Pervy Sage?" The man said, "Perhaps because you're trying too hard. You need to relax, and then try, without thinking too much about it."_

_Naruto thought about it, and Jiraiya said, "If you really aren't getting it, I think I can help you with a small trick I learned that allowed me to at least partially break through GenJutsus." Naruto leapt up at him and said, "What is it?!" The Sannin said, "Try swirling your chakra around inside your body violently. You see, GenJutsu is performed by the enemy inserting their chakra into your body. That way, they can control your senses, while you don't even realize it." Naruto said, "Alright, so how does swirling my chakra help?" Jiraiya said, "When you swirl your chakra all around your body, it hits all the chakra points, and doesn't allow the enemy's chakra to respond fast enough. If you keep it up, your chakra will overwhelm the enemy and their chakra will be expelled from your body, after which you will easily be able to get rid of the GenJutsu." _

_The boy said, "Awesome! Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Jiraiya put up two fingers and said, "Two reasons. One, it only works against average GenJutsus and GenJutsu users, and two, it is dangerous to swirl around our chakra inside our bodies. It has the side effect of overloading the chakra points and causing them to shut down for a while." Naruto said, "Well, you said that I have an extremely large chakra supply. So, by that logic, wouldn't this chakra swirling work well against bigger GenJutsus for me? And as for the second point, I regenerate, don't I? I would easily be able to get the chakra points open again." Jiraiya thought about that and then replied, "Perhaps the first is true. But I don't know if the second applies. Chakra points are not like the rest of the human body. If they suffer damage, it is quite difficult to heal them, unlike the rest of the body." Naruto said, "We will just have to see how it works. It might be the only way that I can progress in GenJutsu. And anyway, what's life without risk?"_

_Jiraiya suddenly saw a vivid vision of himself sitting in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was telling him how the girls would beat him up if they caught him peeking at them in the hot springs, and he had replied the exact same thing that Naruto had said just now. He looked at the boy, who was smiling confidently, and thought, 'He may just be able to pull it off. He's special, an Uzumaki, and a Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails to boot. Who knows what he could do if he puts his mind to it?' He said, "Alright, we'll give it a try. But if you feel anything strange, you stop right away, understand?" Naruto nodded enthusiastically and they began._

_After doing it for a few days, and getting better in dispelling GenJutsus, Naruto said, "Come on, Pervy Sage. We've been practising GenJutsus for way too long. I want to learn a few new jutsus." Jiraiya said, "Alright, I've got something for you to practise along with GenJutsus." Naruto said, "What is it?" The older man said, "I want you to make the Rasengan bigger. Around a foot in diameter." Naruto was confused by this and he said, "But why, Pervy Sage? Won't a bigger Rasengan work the exact same way as a normal sized one?" Jiraiya shook his head and said, "You still haven't learned all the secrets of the Rasengan. The bigger it is, and the more concentrated the chakra, the stronger the end effect on the enemy." Naruto understood. "Alright, I'll give it a try." Jiraiya continued, "Also try to perform the Rasengan in one hand only. You waste a lot of time creating clones and that could allow your opponent to get an advantage over you." Naruto began wondering about how he could do that and said, "It doesn't work for me. I've already tried, remember?" _

_Jiraiya remembered how Naruto's chakra had been spinning the wrong way, and said, "You need to try spinning the chakra in your hands the other way. Like I told you last time, you are spinning your chakra in the opposite of the direction you are supposed to. If you get the spinning right, you will easily be able to create the Rasengan in a single hand." The boy realized how much thought Jiraiya had given this, and nodded. Jiraiya took out one of his pieces of paper and said, "I am heading into the town for a little __**research**__. Keep working on the things I just told you and I'll be back in a few hours, for lunch." Naruto face palmed and Jiraiya disappeared._

_The boy kept trying to spin chakra in the other direction, but it was proving quite difficult. He created a few dozens of clones in order to help speed up the process. As the day progressed, so did his skill. As he finally managed to get the chakra spinning in the right direction, the boy saw Jiraiya limping back towards him. The Sannin said, "Boy, the ladies in this town are sure strong! They reminded me of Tsunade!" Naruto smirked, "Serves you right for being such a pervert." Jiraiya looked annoyed, and said, "Well? Where have you got to in your training?" Naruto said, "I just managed to get my chakra spinning the right direction." Jiraiya patted him on the back and said, "Well done. I didn't really expect that you would be able to do it so soon." Naruto said, "I'll get working on the Giant Rasengan in the evening." Jiraiya thought, 'Giant Rasengan, huh? It has a nice ring to it, actually.'_

_The two of them continued the training for a while. One night, Jiraiya woke up to hear screams, and noises of people running around in the town. He quickly woke Naruto up and said, "Let's go see what's going on." Naruto said, "Alright, let's go." The two of them went outside the hotel, and saw a few people running towards them. Jiraiya stopped one of them and said, "I am a shinobi. What's going on? What are you people running away from?" The man shook with fear. His voice trembling, he said, "There's three giant snakes heading this way. They're eating people left and right!" A grim look crossed Jiraiya's face and he growled, "Orochimaru." Naruto said, "That snake guy is here?!" The Sannin said, "Possibly. We are in the Land of Rice Paddies after all." _

_The two of them decided to make their way towards the disturbances, and a grim sight met their eyes. The three snakes were brown in color, and were devouring everyone in sight. Jiraiya looked hard and said, "Yes, there's no doubt about it. That's Orochimaru on top of the middle snake." Naruto growled in anger and said, "What is he doing here? Let's go get him! I'll make him tell me where Sasuke is." Jiraiya stopped the boy before he could jump towards the snakes. He said, "We can't afford to lose our advantage, Naruto. As of now, he hasn't noticed us. We can plan an attack." Naruto said, "Alright, if you think that will work, let's try it." Just then, a voice echoed towards them. "My old friend, we meet again." Jiraiya's face scrunched up in anger and disappointment at the same time. Naruto said, "How did he know?" Jiraiya replied, "He must have been using a GenJutsu to sense chakra around him in order to know about any ninjas nearby." Orochimaru suddenly appeared in front of him, and said, "I wasn't expecting you to be here, Jiraiya. What brings you to my land?" Naruto asked, "Your land?" Orochimaru said, "And the demon brat is here as well! Oh, how I wish Sasuke would have agreed to come with me on this adventure! It would have been such a nice reunion! He would have loved a chance to fight against you." Naruto growled, and his canines increased. Jiraiya quickly turned to see Naruto's eyes turned red, and his whiskers growing in size._

_The man swung into action, pulling out a seal from his pocket and slapped it against Naruto's forehead. The force with which the seal hit Naruto propelled him backwards, and he fell onto his back. The red chakra which had started to surround him started receding. Orochimaru suddenly attacked out of nowhere, and Jiraiya didn't have enough time to react fully. He was able to partially activate his Needle Jizo in order to protect getting sliced in half with Orochimaru's Kusanagi. At the same time, the snakes attacked as well, and Jiraiya began dodging erratically, getting a little worried at the intensity of the attacks. He thought, 'Is Orochimaru really trying to kill me this time? After all the times we have fought, he never gave a hundred percent to the battle. Why now?'_

_Suddenly, a loud "SUMMONING JUTSU!" brought all of them to their senses. Naruto was standing on top of a giant green toad, who was wielding two swords. Jiraiya hopped back quickly and jumped on top of the toad, saying, "Hey, Gamahiro. I haven't seen you for a while." Gamahiro replied with a grunt and a small smile. Jiraiya explained to Naruto, "Gamahiro lost his ability to talk in a fight when his voice box was crushed." Naruto understood. Jiraiya said, "Gamahiro, can you take care of the snakes?" The toad nodded and jumped. The teacher and student jumped off just in time, and saw the toad land right on top of two of the snakes, crushing them, and at the same time, slice of the head of the third with one of his swords._

_Jiraiya and Naruto looked over at Orochimaru, who was looking a little disappointed. He said, "I didn't expect that the kid would be able to get such a huge toad here." Jiraiya grinned and said, "Miracles happen every day. Deal with it." He took up a fighting stance, and Orochimaru yawned. As Jiraiya charged, the man said, "Much as I would like to stay, I can't deal with the two of you. You should have not attempted to stop me from taking over this town. We will meet again, mark my words." He began to sink down into the earth. As Jiraiya reached him, he sank completely through the earth. Naruto said, "Well, that sucked." Jiraiya said, "At least we managed to get rid of the three snakes. This town won't be in any lasting danger as of now." He turned to Gamahiro, who was busy chopping the head of the last snake. The Sannin said, "Thanks for helping out, Gamahiro. I owe you one." Gamahiro put his swords back into their scabbards, and inclined his head towards them, before vanishing into a pop of smoke._

_Throughout that year, the student teacher duo kept training, focusing on TaiJutsu in the mornings, GenJutsu in the afternoons and NinJutsu in the evenings. Even Naruto, who had enormous stamina, would almost drop dead with exhaustion. But he kept on struggling, and slowly began improving as he learnt all the moves that the Pervy Sage taught him. Jiraiya had also begun to teach Naruto the Iron Monk style, from the scrolls that Kushina had given him a few days before the attack of the Nine Tails. He was surprised at how fast Naruto grasped the concepts of the attacks, and how fast he was able to learn them. He wondered whether it was because they were the boy's mother's moves. _

_After a year of training, Naruto had finally managed to perfect his Giant Rasengan. He had to perform it with a clone, however, because of the amount of force it required. He had also finally created the Rasengan with a single hand, and it was able to form much faster due to the chakra spinning in the proper direction. The end result was a much denser and finely refined Rasengan. One day, the boy woke up and prepared for another day of hard training. Jiraiya used to usually wake up before him, and leave a couple of clues as to where he would be, in order to increase Naruto's intelligence and logical reasoning. Naruto had started to get the hang of it after a while. This day, he found a couple of twigs, and a small stone between them. He realized that it was some sort of nearby clearing full of stones, surrounded by trees. The boy thought, 'There's only one such place nearby.' He got dressed and headed over to the forest._

_As he reached, he saw Jiraiya sitting under a tree, writing something down, and giggling as he did. Naruto's eyes narrowed in annoyance and he decided to do heckle Jiraiya. He approached Jiraiya stealthily, wondering whether he was aware of the boy's presence. But Jiraiya was concentrated on the piece of paper he was holding, and paid no attention to the boy. Naruto quickly used a substitution in order to reach a few meters behind Jiraiya, taking care not to dislodge anything that might give him away. He sneaked up behind Jiraiya, and faced the tree beyond which Jiraiya was seated. He quickly conjured up a Rasengan, and thrust it at the tree, shredding it to bits. Jiraiya turned around in alarm to see the Rasengan thrust right at his face, and balked. The Rasengan hit the Sannin right in the face, and Jiraiya disappeared in a puff of smoke. _

_The real Jiraiya appeared in front of him, and said, "What's the big deal, swinging Rasengans around wildly like this?! What if it was the real me?!" Naruto grinned and said, "Then it would have served you right, you pervert." The old man began to get angry, but remembered himself in time. He said airily, "You still have a long way to go before you can take me out. Come on, let's begin training. I've got something special for you today." Naruto replied, "What?" The old man took out a scroll and said, "Today's entire day will be focused on NinJutsu. Read this scroll, and understand it." Naruto took the scroll and read the title, "Manipulation of Chakra Natures." He looked up at the Sannin in confusion and said, "Chakra Natures? All of a sudden?" _

_Jiraiya smiled and said, "I had been waiting for you to perform the Rasengan perfectly in one hand. I knew that without doing it by yourself, you wouldn't be ready to master the next stage." Naruto was even more confused and said, "What next stage?" Jiraiya looked up at the sky and said, "The Fourth Hokage was a genius, bless him, but he sorely lacked in a few things, such as sheer raw stamina, and willpower, something that you have in abundance. The Fourth had planned to mix his chakra nature into his Rasengan, and create the ultimate jutsu. You see, Naruto, there are two things that make a jutsu powerful. One is change in chakra form, and one is change in chakra nature. The Rasengan is the highest change in chakra form. It is extremely difficult to get all the chakra threads of the Rasengan into a perfectly shaped sphere. It is even more difficult to maintain that. You, however, managed it quite easily, albeit with a Shadow Clone. Now that you have managed to do it on your own, you are ready to start manipulating your chakra nature, and mixing it with the chakra, to create your own jutsu, the likes of which have never been seen before."_

_Naruto had stayed quiet throughout this entire speech, and a thought crossed his mind suddenly. He said, "If the Rasengan, which is an incomplete jutsu, can cause this much damage..." Jiraiya nodded with a grave look, and said, "The resultant jutsu with your chakra nature, would absolutely destroy any opponent." Naruto said, "There's a problem." _

"_What?"_

"_I don't know what my chakra nature is."_

_Jiraiya laughed. "Well, that's easy to find out. Here." He handed out the boy a piece of paper. Naruto took it in his hand. "What do I do with this?" Jiraiya said, "I want you to focus your chakra into this paper. It is specially designed to reveal your chakra nature." Naruto shrugged and focused his chakra into the paper. A split second later, the paper was sliced into two perfect halves. Jiraiya said, "Well, what do you know? Your chakra is wind style, one of the strongest." Naruto said, "How can you tell?" Jiraiya said, "The chakra papers react to chakra natures. Since there are only five, the reactions are easy to remember. For example, fire chakra would make the paper catch fire. Water chakra would make it wet. Lightning chakra would make it crumple." Naruto nodded and said, "Alright, now how do I use wind chakra?"_

"_It isn't that simple, Naruto. First of all, you need to find out how to harness the wind chakra flowing inside of you. Take this leaf." Naruto took the leaf and Jiraiya said, "Close your hand, with the leaf inside. Try to split it perfectly in two halves with only your chakra. As you keep trying, you will sense the wind chakra inside of you. Once you do, you will be able to slowly use it. Get going." Naruto began to focus his chakra into the leaf, willing it to tear. It got completely torn to bits, and Jiraiya shook his head, saying, "That won't do. You just used your regular chakra to crush the leaf. You need to split it in half." The boy kept on trying, but he was unable to perform the task. _

_Jiraiya said, "We can speed things along if you use the Shadow Clone Jutsu." _

_The boy nodded and created around a hundred clones. They all began to pick out a leaf from the nearby trees and got to work. Jiraiya sat down at another tree and began to write._

_A few days later, Naruto was still busy trying to split the leaves. He used to create around a hundred clones every day. One particular day, Naruto was panting, but he had just managed to split a leaf, almost in half. As he did it, he had sensed his chakra nature within him. He took another leaf and began to focus his mind towards that chakra. A second later, he opened his hands and saw that the leaf was perfectly split in half. _

"_I DID IT!"_

_Jiraiya looked up to see the boy jumping up and down in happiness. He walked over to him and said, "Let me see. Do it again, but keep your hand open." Naruto nodded and took another leaf. He kept it in his hand, and gathered his chakra, splitting it in half again. Jiraiya smiled, "Alright, very good. Do it again, a few times, to get used to it." Naruto's clones vanished, and he began splitting the leaves around him again. It had now become afternoon. Jiraiya said, "Come on, let's get something to eat. We'll continue afterwards." That evening, Jiraiya asked Naruto to perform the leaf splitting training again. Naruto did it and Jiraiya seemed satisfied. He said, "Alright, we will start the next part of the training tomorrow." The two of them went back to town, and reached their hotel, beginning to get some rest._

_The next few weeks went in training under a waterfall in the woods near the town. Jiraiya had created a stone bridge in front of it, and Naruto began the waterfall splitting training. The Sannin had started reading the scrolls of the various Jutsus that they had found in Roushi's house. After Naruto was done with the waterfall training, Jiraiya said, "Well done, Naruto. You've progressed much faster than I would have ever thought. You are ready for the final stage. You now have to mix the nature chakra that you have learnt to harness into the Rasengan. Mind that this will be extremely tough, to perform a change in chakra form as well as change in chakra nature simultaneously. But I have no doubt that you will be able to do it." _

_Naruto nodded and said, "I'll get right to it." He began to form a Rasengan, and Jiraiya watched closely. The boy began to concentrate, and slowly, the Rasengan turned a light green in color. As the boy poured more chakra into the Rasengan, however, it began to slip out of its perfect round shape, and start breaking apart. Beads of sweat lined Naruto's forehead as he tried but failed to keep the Jutsu intact. A blinding explosion threw the boy off his feet, and he landed into a tree far away. Jiraiya had put up his hands to shield himself. He saw Naruto groaning, trying to get out of the tree, and said, "That was terrifying. I had no idea that the Jutsu would be so strong." _

_Naruto said, "That wasn't any Jutsu, Pervy Sage. I wasn't even able to get the nature energy to mix with the regular chakra properly. That's why the Rasengan wasn't staying in shape." Jiraiya was pleased with the boy's attention to detail. He said, "I hadn't expected you to do it on your first try anyway. You just need to keep trying, until you get the amount of chakra right." Naruto said, "I'll start with around 10% percent of nature energy. We'll see what happens." He performed the Rasengan again, but found himself tired. He frowned, 'Me, tired from such a simple thing? What's come over me?' Jiraiya guessed what Naruto was thinking and said, "I think you're suffering from the backlash of the Jutsu. You better take it easy for a while. Come on, let's do some more reading while you regain your energy." The boy joined him, and the two of them sat underneath a tree, reading the scrolls which Jiraiya had brought with them. After a year with Jiraiya, Naruto had started to appreciate the knowledge that was to be gained from reading. He would spend large amounts of time reading, which had even mystified Jiraiya.  
_

_A couple of days later, Naruto's patience was running thin. He said, "This is impossible! How can I maintain the form of chakra at the same time as I try to add a chakra nature? It's like trying to look left and right at the same time! And that's not possible!" Jiraiya looked up from his scroll, listening to Naruto's rant. He thought about what Naruto had just said, and an idea crossed his mind. He grinned and went over to Naruto, saying, "Of course we can look at the left and right at the same time." He put his hands into the familiar hand sign that Naruto loved, and said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu." A clone of the old man split off and looked to the left, while the original looked to the right. Jiraiya said, "See? Looking to the left,while looking to the right!" His clone pointed left, while he pointed right._

_A figurative light bulb went off in Naruto's head. He remembered how he had performed the Rasengan the first time, using the clone in order to provide the chakra while he maintained it's form. He shouted, "OF COURSE! I'VE GOT IT!" Jiraiya smiled and said, "Show me what you understood." Naruto grinned and said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A clone of Naruto appeared next to him. Naruto brought out his hand and formed a Rasengan. 'Thank God for my stamina!', he thought. He nodded to his clone. The clone placed his hands over the roiling orb, and began to add nature chakra to the Fourth Hokage's Jutsu. Slowly, a triumphant grin appeared on Naruto's face, as the ball remained perfectly in shape, while turning a blinding green in colour. Naruto turned to face his teacher, and said, "Wind Style: Rasengan!" Jiraiya pointed out to the boulder that was a few meters in front of him, and said, "Let's see what it can do." Naruto charged towards the boulder with the green orb in his hand, and thrust it at the boulder. A split second later, an explosion shook the entire forest, and Naruto was thrown back as the force of the NinJutsu practically lifted him off the ground, throwing him into the air. Jiraiya quickly caught the boy before he could fall, and the two of them observed the crater which had been created by the wind enhanced orb._

_Jiraiya turned towards Naruto and said, "Well done, Naruto. You've created an S-Ranked Jutsu, the likes of which even I have never seen before." Naruto punched the air in happiness. Jiraiya put his hand up and said, "Wait, Naruto. There is still a ways to go before you can call this Jutsu complete." Naruto said in confusion, "What do you mean, Pervy Sage? Haven't I completed the Jutsu?" Jiraiya said, "You saw the result of the explosion. You were thrown back because of it. What would have happened to you if I hadn't been there to catch you?" Naruto remembered the speed at which he had hurtled back and thought, 'I definitely would have broken my back if Pervy Sage hadn't caught me.' He said, "Alright, I get what you're saying. But what do I have to do?" _

_Jiraiya said, "The basic strength of wind chakra is in its ability to be sharp. Have you ever seen a wind Jutsu which hasn't been able to cut anything in it's path?" Naruto wondered about it and realized that he had not. He said, "So, I need to make the Rasengan sharper?" Jiraiya shook his head, "No, you cannot make a round shape sharper. You need to make the Rasengan larger and compress the wind chakra in order to give it a shape, so that the edges of the resultant Jutsu will be sharp." Naruto said, "What shape do I give the Jutsu?" Jiraiya scratched his cheek in thought, "I can't say. Why don't you experiment and see what happens?" Naruto said, "Alright, I can do that." Two days later, Naruto was finally able to perfect his Jutsu, turning the shape of the Rasengan into a giant demon wind shuriken. Jiraiya nodded approvingly, and said, "Well done. It is finally perfect. The Fourth would have been so proud that someone had finally completed his invention." He thought, 'You've shown that you are truly his son, Naruto. I'm proud of you as well.' _

_The Sannin said, "Alright, in celebration of this, let's have ramen for dinner today. My treat!" Naruto shouted, "ALRIGHT!" and took off. Jiraiya grinned and began walking after him. _

Ino said, "Naruto, I know you mean well, telling me all of this, but does it have absolutely anything to do with how you get around so fast?" Naruto said, "Yes, it does. I'm nearly there, hold on." He continued his story.

_Naruto had been travelling for a while with Jiraiya now, having left the town after a year of staying there. They had been to many different lands, and Naruto had been training the entire time. Jiraiya had introduced him to chakra weights, which Naruto had found extremely useful while training. The chakra weights had made him much faster and stronger than he had ever been before. Jiraiya said, "I'd say you've become as fast as Gai. I think you could easily beat him in a fight now." Naruto said, "That's impossible. Gai sensei has the Eight Inner Gates. I couldn't even begin to get close to that. At most, I'm a little slower than him." The old man said, "Nevertheless, you've been very persistent in your training, and it has finally paid off. You've worked as hard as that student of his, what's his name again?" Naruto replied, "Lee." Jiraiya nodded and said, "I've noted how hard that boy has worked to be a fine shinobi. You've shown the same amount of hard work and the result is in front of you." _

_Naruto said, "I'm guessing this mean I can take off the chakra weights, then?" Jiraiya nodded and said, "Let's see how fast you are without them." Naruto began taking off the chakra weights off his arms and legs. These were yellow chakra weights, and there were ten of them tied to each hand and leg. Naruto said, "Alright, that feels much better!" As Jiraiya saw him stretch, all of a sudden, Naruto vanished in front of his eyes, and reappeared behind him. The man looked behind, but almost at the same instant, Naruto vanished again, and Jiraiya had a hard time tracking him. The old man thought, 'Holy crap, that's terrifying. It's like seeing Uchiha Shisui's shunshin! Five Sense Augmentation!' He secretly activated the minor GenJutsu that he had learnt from Tsunade, and felt his eyes become slightly sharper. He cursed his inability to master GenJutsu, but began to see a slight blur as he saw Naruto running around, and thought, 'Well, at least that's something.' _

_He observed the boy for a couple of minutes, and said, "Alright, stop Naruto." Naruto came to a stop in front of him. Jiraiya deactivated the GenJutsu, noting the strain it took on his chakra reserves. He took a look at the boy, who was brimming with confidence and pride, and thought, 'Not even a bead of sweat on his forehead. He's done it. He's absolutely ready.' Jiraiya took a scroll out of his pocket, and said, "This is the final part of your training, Naruto. Once you master this technique, there will be absolutely no one else in the Leaf that would be able to take you head on. And perhaps the Five Great Nations as well." Naruto's eyes widened and he said, "What technique is it?" Jiraiya said, "The legacy of the Fourth Hokage; the Hiraishin Jutsu." Naruto's mouth fell open, and he said, "The Hiraishin! The Jutsu which earned the Fourth Hokage the nickname, 'The Yellow Flash'! Are you serious?!" _

_Jiraiya smiled slightly and said, "Perhaps you didn't know, Naruto, but I am the Fourth Hokage's sensei. I was his Jonin teacher when he was a Genin. A finer student I had never seen in my entire life. He was amazing, learning everything that was taught to him without hesitation, grasping concepts in mere minutes, performing a wide range of moves, mastering every Jutsu he could get his hands on. But the Hiraishin was the reason that he was feared throughout all the elemental nations. He was the best student I had ever had the honour to teach." He handed Naruto the scroll, who took it with a little bit of nervousness and fear. His hands trembled with anticipation. As Jiraiya handed Naruto the scroll, he continued, 'But I finally can say that I found a student better than him." Naruto's eyes shot up, trembling with happiness, and a tear came out of it. Before Jiraiya knew it, Naruto was hugging him tightly. The Sannin returned the hug, and ruffled the boy's hair, saying, "I truly believe, Naruto, that you can surpass the Fourth Hokage. That is my dream now, to see you become a better Hokage than the Fourth." Naruto said in a quiet, but determined voice, "I promise that I will make your dream come true, sensei. After all, within that dream lies my ambition as well." _

_Jiraiya said, "Then this training will be the last that I can help you with. Everything else from here on forward, you will have to find out for yourself. I can only help you with a few words of wisdom and experience from here on out. I have taught you all I can, and you have excelled at everything. My only regret is not being able to teach you more than the basics of GenJutsu." Naruto grinned and said, "Don't worry, I'll be able to learn that from someone else." Jiraiya said, "Alright then, get to work." Naruto nodded and opened the scroll, looking at the neat handwriting. He frowned, "This scroll, the handwriting looks a bit familiar to me. I think I've seen it before, somewhere in the scrolls from Roushi's archives." Jiraiya said, "How can that be? This is the Fourth's handwriting. He made this scroll himself, and gave it to me for safe keeping once he was done with it." _

_Naruto shrugged and said, "I dunno, maybe the handwriting is similar." He began to read and Jiraiya settled down against a tree in the forest where they had been training. He took out a few pieces of paper and began to write. Naruto continued reading the scroll and finally finished it a few hours later. He said, "I'm done reading the scroll, Pervy Sage. But I don't know if I will be able to perform the Jutsu. All these concepts are pretty much alien to me. It seems very hard." Jiraiya said, "Perhaps this will help." He took out a kunai from one of his pouches, and said, "This is one of the Fourth Hokage's kunais. Look at the seal on it. Study it, learn it, and you then practise it for a couple of hours until you get it perfect. Then perform the seals on your kunais, and then practise the technique which is illustrated in the scroll. It shouldn't be hard for you, considering the amount of chakra you have, as well as your natural affinity for FuinJutsu, being an Uzumaki." Naruto caught the kunai which Jiraiya threw at him and began examining it._

Ino whistled and said, "So that's how you're so fast, Naruto! I can't believe it!" Naruto looked up at the sky and said, "It wasn't easy, Ino. Space-time manipulation is on a whole different level as compared to regular NinJutsu. I wasn't able to get the hand of it in the beginning. Even Pervy Sage was frightened once, when I got stuck between two different points in space. It lasted until my chakra ran out, after which I was automatically pulled out on one side." Ino gasped, "That must be terrible!" Naruto said, "Not really, I couldn't feel any pain, per se, but I was stuck for a long time, since I have a lot of chakra. Pervy Sage had me create Shadow Clones after that, for the Hirashin training, so that I wouldn't have to waste any time like that. And because he was worried about me too, I guess. As my Shadow Clones began the training, I started looking into their memories, and understanding the mechanisms of space-time manipulation. It took me nearly six months to master it. But I did it, and now I'm faster than anyone in the village. I'm extremely grateful to Pervy Sage for all that he has done for me. I don't know what I would have done without him."

He smiled and looked at her, saying, "Well, that's my story. At least the important parts, anyway." Ino said, "What about all the scrolls and books of Roushi?" Naruto said, "Those books are still with Pervy Sage. Remind me to get them from him some time." Ino nodded. Naruto looked at the sky and said, "Sometimes I wonder why Pervy Sage didn't become Hokage. He's strong enough to do it. If he didn't goof around with that **research **crap, he could become a pretty kickass Hokage." Ino replied, "Everyone doesn't have the same dreams, Naruto. You've always wanted to become Hokage, which is why you wonder why others don't. Look at me, I never dreamt of being Hokage."

Naruto shrugged and said, "Alright, Ino. We've been here for far too long. The village needs our help if it has to get back to its feet on time."

The platinum blonde stood, and said, "How many times can you use the Hiraishin without getting tired or out of chakra?" Naruto scratched his head and said thoughtfully, "I haven't really tried counting, but I reckon around fifty times at a stretch? I dunno, I'll have to try some time. Also, closer areas are easier to transport to, while far away areas will take more out of my chakra. I was able to modify the Jutsu a little as well, making the seal lighter and smaller." Ino thought, 'Naruto...you've really outdone yourself. Who would've thought that the scrawny little orange jumpsuit clad boy would one day become such a fine shinobi?' She smiled and held his hand, saying, "Come on, let's go rebuild the village." Naruto said, "Amen to that." The two of them vanished in a flash of gold.


	44. Chapter 44: Rematch

**Author's Note: **Hey, guys, forgive my tardiness. Here's the next chapter for you, hope you guys enjoy it, and of course, Happy Reading!

**Chapter 44: Rematch**

Sasuke woke up. He sat up in his bed, brooding, wondering whether any luck would allow him to find Itachi. 'How is it that he continues to elude me for so long? What am I missing? Could it be true that he's really left the country? But with the Akatsuki on his heels, he couldn't. Could he?' He got dressed and headed out of the hotel where he was staying. 'I need to find someplace else soon. I don't have much money left, and it doesn't seem like I can earn any around here.' Just then, he saw a familiar figure approaching him. Naruto's clone walked up to him, and said, "Hi, the Boss sent me here to tell you that he wants to talk to you. He wants to meet you at the base of the mountains behind the Hokage Monument."

Sasuke frowned and said, "Why there?" The clone shrugged, "No idea." He dismissed himself and Sasuke stood in the street for a couple of seconds, wondering what that had been about. He decided to go and see what Naruto was up to. 'Has he found out something about Itachi?' Naruto, meanwhile, was in Tsunade's newly recreated office. As he had stepped in, his eyes had widened at the luxurious interiors. Tsunade smiled and said, "Hi, Naruto." He looked around, and said, "Wow, Grandma Tsunade, you've really transformed this place!" Tsunade said, "Well, it was about time anyway. The old place just felt really dull, so I took this opportunity to really spruce it up."

Naruto sat in the chair in front of her's and said, "So, what did you need me for?" Tsunade said, "There's been a bit of a disturbance in the Land of Wind. Gaara says that some rogue-nins from their village are stirring up problems in the capital city in their country, and he is going to deal with it, but he needs some help. And I couldn't think of anyone better than you, since most of the ninjas here are busy helping out the village, and you are strong enough to substitute for three Chunin. I told Gaara that you would be able to help him, and he was rather happy, judging by his voice. Now, I want to tell you something important. This is not a simple clean up mission. Gaara has got his hands on some sensitive information regarding the Hidden Cloud village, and is going to meet you at his capital city with it. I want you to help him out, and then bring the intel back safely. Is that understood?"

Naruto nodded and said, "So, this is, what, an A-Rank mission?" Tsunade crossed her fingers and said, "I can't say. If the intel is extremely important, I would say S-Rank. And I think it could be S-Rank, since Gaara himself is heading out for the mission." Naruto understood the situation, and said, "Very well. When do I head out?" Tsunade said, "Well, for any normal shinobi, I'd say today itself. But seeing as you aren't normal by a long shot, you can leave tomorrow. The capital city of the Land of Wind is nearer to us than the Hidden Sand."

Naruto said, "Alright, then. I'll leave tomorrow. And where exactly do I have to meet him?" Tsunade replied, "He'll find you when you reach close to the capital. Keep in mind that the capital city of the Wind is quite different from the Sand village. The guards there are rather hostile, and don't allow any ninja from another village in. So you won't be able to enter the city. And don't even think about trying it. The last thing I want on my hands is an international incident." The blonde male smirked and said, "Don't worry, I'll behave myself. Is that all, then?" Tsunade nodded and he took a last look around him before leaving. At the door, he said, "Thanks for the renovation, Grandma. It'll be nice to sit here when I'm Hokage." Tsunade snorted and said, "You've got a long way to go before even thinking about being Hokage. Now get out." Naruto left, grinning.

As he was walking towards the shelters, the clone talking to Sasuke dismissed itself, and the information got relayed to him. He quickly teleported to the Fourth Hokage's monument and began running towards the northern border of the village from there. As he crossed the border and reached the mountains, he caught a glimpse of Sasuke sitting underneath a tree nearby. He stopped and went back. Sasuke looked at him and said, "Well? Why did you call me here?" Naruto began, "I met Itachi a day ago." Sasuke jumped up, eyes blazing in anger. "WHAT! AND YOU'RE TELLING ME NOW?!" Naruto held up his hands to calm down his old friend and continued, "After I pursued him, He stopped and told me his entire story. Which I'm about to tell you now. So sit down and listen." Sasuke sat down, and said, "Out with it, quickly."

Naruto told Sasuke everything that Itachi had shown him using the Tsukuyomi. Sasuke's eyes widened as he heard everything. After Naruto was done talking, he said, "That...that is not possible. Itachi can't have..." Naruto looked at him sadly and said, "I saw the tears in Itachi's eyes when he was showing me all of this. He loves you, which is why he kept you alive every time after he defeated you, hoping that you would one day surpass him in strength and show him mercy by ending his life. And he hoped that by following this path, you would be able to become a strong ninja. But the path you took, he could never have predicted. He told me that his only mistake was to have lied to you. He believed that you're mind was too fragile to handle the truth. But now that you've grown, I guessed that you might be able to accept it. As much pain as this may cause you, you have to understand the sacrifices that Itachi made for the sake of the village. A village that you chose to ignore completely, consumed in darkness and your desire for revenge."

Sasuke suddenly trembled. 'Itachi...a spy for the village? He massacred the clan to protect it? He lied to me to make me strong? Strong enough to kill him?'

Visions flashed in front of Sasuke's eyes, visions of him spending time with his brother, laughing with him, training with him, faltering as he saw the difference in his brother's eyes, crying as he watched his family lying dead in front of him, killed by his very own brother. 'He killed our parents in order to protect the village. Does the village really mean so much to him? That he would sever the bonds of family to protect it?'

Naruto looked at him, wondering what gears were spinning in Sasuke's head. He said, "I know you must be overwhelmed, Sasuke. I was, as well, when I first heard about all of this. But as it sank in, I was able to accept it." Sasuke stood in front of him, spaced out, and trembling. He reached out and put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, saying, "Itachi has lied to everyone his entire life. That is the ultimate sacrifice he made to serve his village. He never wanted you to turn out like this."

Sasuke said, "This...this village. This village is the reason that I lost my family. It is the reason why I lost my entire clan, my parents, and all my happy memories. All this while I felt that Itachi was the reason that my life was destroyed. But it was this village. I've lived a lie my entire life. But now, I'm going to make it right."

Naruto frowned, confused. "Sasuke? What are you saying?" Sasuke shook off his hand from his shoulder and said, "This village is the reason why I suffered my entire life! **I AM GOING TO ****DESTROY** **IT**!" A sudden burst of chakra erupted from him, and Naruto flew into a tree. As he got out of the tree, he saw the blood running down Sasuke's eyes. A giant purple skeleton like form was surrounding the boy, and his Mangekyo Sharingan flared. He said, "This village is the reason that I have no family anymore! I won't let it survive after what it has ordered Itachi to do!"

Naruto thought, 'Oh shit, he's snapped. I thought he would have become mature enough to understand. Now I realize why Itachi didn't tell him about the truth. He would have died at that young age, but he's gone mad now. I have to stop him." He said, "Sasuke, calm down! The village is not to blame for what happened!" Sasuke looked at him, and Naruto shuddered involuntarily. The look in Sasuke's eyes was that of a crazed maniac. He suddenly grinned manically and said, "You. You protect the village, don't you? The village which took everything away from me. **I'LL KILL YOU!**" He charged towards the knucklehead, who could only think one thing. 'Oh, crap.'

The purple skeletal figure extended, and caught Naruto in it's hand made of bones. He struggled, but the bones held him tight. Sasuke said, "I will restore the Uchiha clan to its former glory once I get rid of this pathetic village. The Uchihas will be feared throughout the elemental nations once more, and I shall be their leader! I will completely destroy the Leaf village, and make sure that not even a single piece of it remains!"

Naruto had had enough. He quickly used a substitution in order to escape from the skeletal structure, and landed behind Sasuke. The boy quickly turned around, and held out his hand in a punch, causing the skeleton to punch too, a massive punch that hit Naruto's entire front portion of his body. The boy coughed blood as he flew into a rock, which completely shattered. Stars exploded in front of his eyes as he got up, cursing this new power that Sasuke was wielding. Before he could do anything, however, an ANBU figure appeared in front of him. He looked at the person, who was focused on Sasuke, and said, "Who are you?"

The new arrival took off his mask, and said, "I am surprised you didn't recognize me, Naruto. But then, you've been dazed by the Susano-o, so I won't begrudge you. You told him the truth, did you not? See what has happened to him because of that." Naruto's vision focused again and he recognized Itachi's face. He said, "Well, I thought he'd become old enough to accept the truth. But it seems that I was wrong." Sasuke looked at Itachi, and said, "Brother! Finally, I meet you after all this time! Naruto told me what this village made you do, brother! I will destroy it for what it has done to me!"

Itachi stood in front of Naruto and said, "I'm afraid I cannot allow that, Sasuke." Sasuke tilted his head in confusion, and said, "**YOU MURDERED OUR ENTIRE CLAN, ALL FOR THE SAKE OF THIS PUNY VILLAGE? WHY? WHY DID YOU DO IT?**" The deranged look on his face made even Itachi shudder. He maintained his composure, however, and said, "I am a shinobi of this village, Sasuke. And the first rule of the Shinobi way of life is to protect the village at all costs. No matter the cost. No matter what comes in the way, a shinobi must never waver, never hesitate to do whatever it takes to protect the village. But it seems that you've forgotten that."

Sasuke said, "You killed our family. You destroyed my entire life. All on the orders of this village. How can I forgive that? All my life I thought that you were a rogue ninja. But now Naruto told me that all you did was follow orders. Which means that the village did this to me." Itachi nodded and said, "I understand your anger, Sasuke. But the village had no choice. Our so-called great clan, was about to revolt against the village, which had sheltered them for so many years. They were going to wage a war against the people who had given them a sanctuary. The Third Hokage wanted to solve things peacefully. But the Uchihas were too arrogant and proud of themselves to listen. If I had not intervened, the coup-d'état would have completely destroyed the village."

Sasuke said, "Well, the village is going to be destroyed now, anyway! So what if the Uchiha clan wanted to revolt! They were well within their rights to do so! I remember that we were living away at the far side of the village, while the rest of the clans could settle wherever they wished. I remember that the Uchiha clan was only given control of the Konoha police, while the rest of the clans got all the fancy missions. Why shouldn't the Uchihas have revolted? What did this village ever give us?"

Itachi finally lost his temper and roared, "**WITHOUT THIS VILLAGE, YOU WOULDN'T EXIST, BAKA! WITHOUT THIS VILLAGE, THE UCHIHAS WOULD BE EXTINCT A LONG TIME AGO! IF IT WERE NOT FOR HASHIRAMA SENJU, WE WOULDN'T BE TALKING RIGHT NOW! SO STOP BEING SUCH AN UNGRATEFUL PERSON, AND QUIT TALKING RUBBISH!**"

Sasuke froze. Itachi took a deep breath, regained his calm, and continued, "If it were not for the peaceful thinking of Hashirama Senju, the Uchihas would have continued fighting every other clan in the world under Madara Uchiha's mad rule. And slowly, they would have been wiped out. The First Hokage was the one who saw another way, and asked the Uchihas to collaborate with him. Madara Uchiha only saw a way to create a village full of ninjas under his control, with which he would be able to defeat the rest of the villages and clans. But the First Hokage saw an opportunity to build a home for the ninja clans, where they could co-operate. Where they could work together, and not fight against each other all the time. Where they could solve the problems of the world, rather than creating more and more problems."

The purple skeleton began receding from around Sasuke's body. Itachi was bolstered by this sight and continued, "Madara Uchiha was the one who turned us against the village. When Hashirama was chosen as the First Hokage instead of him, he was furious. Hashirama and he had disagreed on how to bring peace to the world. Hashirama believed that true peace would be achieved only when everyone would be able to look past the differences in others and accept them as equals. Whereas Madara wanted to bring peace to the world by conquering it and uniting it under his rule. When he realized that he was unable to do so anymore, he fought Hashirama for control of the village. After their famous fight, Madara was presumed dead, and Hashirama came back with a heavy heart, and assumed command of the village. All of this happened because of the stone tablet in Naka shrine which all the Uchihas follow. Madara deciphered the stone tablet, and based on what he had uncovered, decided that Konoha was a failed experiment. When he had tried to revolt for the first time, however, the rest of the Uchihas had turned their back on him, tired of fighting. This was what lead him to fight Hashirama in the first place."

Sasuke was now listening intently, the deranged look on his face disappearing. Itachi kept going, "When the Uchihas were given command of the Konoha Police force, however, they believed that the Senju were trying to keep them out of the village politics, and began to grow dissatisfied. Over the years, the dissatisfaction led to rebellion. Under father's leadership, they finally decided to do what Madara had tried long ago, to revolt against the village. I didn't agree with this, since I knew that the village had never wanted anything but peace with the Uchihas. But I was not able to convince father to stop his plan. Neither was my best friend, Shisui. He sacrificed his life for the sake of the village. The Third Hokage tried to negotiate, but Danzo was determined to exterminate the Uchiha clan, thinking that it was the only way for the village to survive."

A tear came out of Itachi's eye, as he said, "Chaos would have ensued if the Uchihas would have been allowed to carry out their plan. They would have been responsible for the annihilation of the village. I could not let that happen. So I did what I had to do. I murdered the rest of the clan, putting an end to their plans. But I could not kill you, the most precious person in my life. So I decided to lie to you, hoping that anger and hate against me would make you stronger and a great ninja. But you descended too deep into darkness, Sasuke. You chose the wrong path, and became evil."

Sasuke looked down at the ground, and then whispered, "You're right." Itachi looked at him in shock, and a moment later, Sasuke disappeared, reappearing in front of him, and swinging the katana that he had acquired from the old lady. Itachi was barely able to block it. Sasuke growled, "If what you say is true, and I find proof of it, then I won't begrudge this village for giving you the order to kill the Uchihas. But it doesn't mean that I won't kill you." Itachi said, "I never thought for a moment that you would forgive me for what I did, Sasuke."

The youger Uchiha continued attacking, and Itachi kept blocking. Sasuke noted that Itachi's moves were slower than before, and he said, "What is this, Itachi? Why are you moving so slowly? Do you want to die so easily?" Itachi said, "You'll start understanding the disadvantages of the Mangekyo Sharingan soon enough, Sasuke. I won't need to explain it to you." Sasuke slashed at him diagonally, before closing in and aiming a kick at him. His foot connected, and Itachi flew back. Sasuke prepared to attack again, but found his hand blocked. He looked around and saw Naruto holding his hand. He shouted, "OUT OF MY WAY, Naruto! This doesn't concern you. This fight has nothing to do with you." Naruto said, "I can't just sit by and watch you kill the man who was responsible for saving my village."

Sasuke spat, "I don't care what he did! He took away my childhood, robbed me of my family, and for that, he must die! I've lived me entire life, waiting to kill him!" Naruto said firmly, "And after that, what? What will you do after killing him? What is your purpose in life after taking Itachi down? Will you feel satisfied after killing your brother? The person who lied to you in order to make you strong? The person who loved you more than you can imagine?" Itachi walked over and said, "I agree with Sasuke, Naruto. You should stay out of this. This is a matter for Uchihas, nothing to do with you. I have always wanted to die at Sasuke's hands, ending my pain, and providing him with the satisfaction of avenging his family." Naruto looked at him in confusion, and said, "Then why didn't you let him kill you when you first met? While trying to capture me for the Akatsuki?"

Itachi said, "I wasn't going to make it so easy now, was I? After all, I had to make sure that he had the strength to survive in this world. Anyway, this fight will ensure a single victor. And if Sasuke does kill me today, I thoroughly deserve it." Naruto nodded sadly and let go of Sasuke's hand. Sasuke charged towards Itachi and began fighting viciously, forcing Itachi to block continuously. Itachi marveled at the speed at which Sasuke fought. He said, "Very good, Sasuke. You've trained hard."

Sasuke merely grunted, as his eyes flashed red, and Itachi saw the Mangekyo Sharingan form in his eyes. Sasuke roared, "Amaterasu!" Itachi quickly formed his own Amaterasu and countered it. The black flames began to eat each other, and the two Uchihas continued to fight. Naruto watched in awe as they fought, looking at the immense skill with which they attacked and defended.

Itachi was getting slower and slower with every move, and Sasuke was pressing his advantage. Finally, Itachi said, "Well done. You've become extremely strong. But, there's still a couple of tricks I have to fight you. If you can beat me, then you have the right to kill me." His Mangekyo Sharingan flared, and blood streamed down his cheeks as he roared, "**SUSANO-O!**"

An orange clad figure erupted around him, covered in a cloak, and brandishing four arms, one holding a blade, another holding a shield, and a third one holding a gourd. The fourth arm was empty, and Itachi used that one to aim a gigantic punch right to Sasuke's face. The younger Uchiha didn't flinch as the punch reached him, and at the last moment, purple bones appeared out of nowhere, forming a cage around him, and blocking the punch.

Itachi thought, 'He's already got the hang of how to use the Susano-o? Incredible!' Sasuke roared, and a vast aura of purple chakra extended around him. The purple bones extended, forming the upper body of a skeleton, and purple flesh began to cover the bones. A cloak appeared over the figure and Sasuke stood in the center, with a purple Susano-o, as large as Itachi's. One arm of his Susano-o held a bow and another held and arrow, while a third arm held a pot of black flames. A demonic grin showed on his Susano-o's face.

Itachi charged, noting that he had very less chakra left. The impromptu Amaterasu and the extended version of his Susano-o had taken a lot out of him. His vision was blurred, and he sensed how blind he was getting. He swung his Susano-o sword at Sasuke, who blocked it with his own Susano-o's bow, and swung a punch at Itachi. Itachi's Susano-o took the hit and flew back, falling and cracking. It reduced back to the skeletal form, and Itachi panted with exhaustion. The Susano-o was taking too large a toll on his chakra reserves. Sasuke signed and his Susano-o fitted the arrow to it's bow, and aimed it at the older Uchiha.

Sasuke said, "This is the end." The third arm of his Susano-o held the pot in front of the arrow, and the black flames were caught by the arrow, which started burning. Sasuke releases the arrow, and it flew straight at Itachi, who put his last energy into the Susano-o and strengthened it again, using the Yata Mirror to block the arrow. He tried to charge again, but faltered and the Susano-o disappeared.

Sasuke got rid of his own Susano-o, and walked over to his older brother. He said, "I win." Itachi lay on the floor, panting. Sasuke said, "Any final requests?" Itachi smiled and said, "What more could I ask, than seeing you become such a fine shinobi? But since you're asking, I have one request. Return to the village after this. Lead a proper life. Don't lower yourself so much that you forget who you are. And always remember that the village comes before everything else." Sasuke nodded and aimed his katana at Itachi's chest. Itachi closed his eyes, and Sasuke struck his sword.

Itachi opened his eyes, but found that he could see only through one of them. He said, "What's going on?" Sasuke stood watching over him, and said, "I have decided to let you live. Live with the shame of having murdered your own clan. That is enough punishment for you. I defeated you, which is enough to avenge the clan's doom. After hearing what you've had to say, I have decided to find out the truth myself. After I first activated my Sharingan, I went to the Naka Shrine. I was able to decipher what the stone tablet said. I know the secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan. I can feel my eyes starting to weaken already. I also know how to gain the powers of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. So, I'm taking your eyes. Without them, you are powerless."

Itachi smiled and said, "You are intelligent, Sasuke. I'm glad you figured out the secrets of the Mangekyo. What I'm curious about, however, is how you achieved the Mangekyo anyway." Sasuke said, "Just because I've spared your life doesn't mean that I've forgiven you right away. I am only trying to become normal once more. Even though you betrayed me and sent me down the path of evil, I am going to try to come out of it now." With that being said, he pulled out Itachi's other eye from his eye socket, and put it into a small liquid filled tube. Itachi felt a dull pain in his right socket, and realized that Sasuke had actually enabled a GenJutsu to dull his senses. He smiled as he thought, 'So, you can't kill me even after all I did, Sasuke. I hope that some day we can be friends once again.' Sasuke turned around. He looked at Naruto and said, "Naruto. My ambition has partly been fulfilled. I no longer need to stay away from the village. If it is okay with the Fifth Hokage, I would like to return."

Naruto's face filled with happiness, and he said, "**YOSH!**"

Sasuke turned around to Itachi and said, "As for you, I hope I never see you again. Although that is a hard thing to hope for, since we shall be living in the same village. Maybe I shall forgive you some time. But till then, you are no longer relevant to me." Itachi kept smiling, and continued lying on the ground, not having the energy to stand. He said, "Sasuke, I know you might never forgive me for what I've done. But I'm glad to hear that you're going to come back to the village. Be a great ninja, one who is feared throughout the elemental nations."

Naruto said, "There's gonna be a few things to work out though, before you can come back." Sasuke said, "Like what, dobe?" Naruto grinned at him, recognizing the old insult, and said, "Like the fact that you're an A-Ranked criminal, affiliated with the Akatsuki. Like the fact that you ran away from the village, and joined Orochimaru, the most famous rogue-nin produced by the Leaf. Like the fact that you almost killed the head of the Root Organization."

He inclined his head towards Itachi as he spoke and Sasuke stared at him. He said, "Itachi is the leader of the Root organization?" Naruto nodded and said, "He was made the head when I killed Danzo." Sasuke said, "Why?" Naruto replied, "Well, it had something to do with him betraying the village. It's a long story, I'll tell it to you some other time." Sasuke turned towards his brother and said, "Root Organization, huh. I know some guys from there. They used to come and report to Orochimaru, bringing reports from Danzo. I never liked those guys." Naruto said, "Well, come on, then. Let's go and meet Grandma Tsunade, and try to convince her to let you return to the village." Sasuke nodded and began walking off towards the village. Naruto said, "Hold on." He turned around and said, "What is it now?" Naruto said, "Are you just going to leave Itachi like that?" Sasuke said, "What does it matter? I've left him alive, haven't I?" Naruto said, "If you're going to return to the village, let me tell you something, Sasuke. If you ever, ever abandon a fellow ninja of the Leaf, I'll never forgive you. Remember Kakashi sensei's words; a ninja who breaks the rules is scum, but one who betrays their friends is worse than scum."

He walked towards Itachi and picked him up. Itachi had fallen unconscious due to chakra exhaustion. Naruto carried him, and said, "Get to the top of the Hokage monument. I'm taking Itachi to Grandma Tsunade. Wait on top of the monument till I'm done." Sasuke said, "Fine. But why are you telling me this now? As though you're going to reach there before me." Naruto grinned and said, "You've been away a long time, we've got a lot to catch up on, Sasuke." He vanished in a flash of gold, leaving Sasuke confused, and partly annoyed.

Naruto reappeared at the Ninja Ops building's roof, and made his way into Tsunade's office. She looked up in anger to see who had burst through the door without permission, but deflated when she saw Naruto holding Itachi's body. She said, "Naruto, what..." Naruto said, "No time. Sasuke fought Itachi and nearly killed him. He needs medical help or he's going to die anyway." Tsunade said, "How do you know about..." Naruto said, "Itachi? I met him a couple of days ago, and he told me everything about him. I was gonna talk to you about it, but I forgot. Hurry, Grandma, there isn't too much time, ya know!" Tsunade got out of her chair in a hurry, and said, "Come with me, we are taking him down to the new emergency room I made in the Ninja Ops basement, for treating emergency patients." They practically ran down to the basement and set Itachi atop the table in the emergency room. Tsunade began running diagnostics and said, "He's extremely weak. What the hell happened to his eyes?" Naruto replied, "Sasuke took his eyes." Tsunade balked and said, "That's why he's dying. The Sharingan is part of the soul and having it ripped out like that without medical jutsu is why he's in such a bad state. Go an find Shizune, she'll be at the hospital. Use the Hiraishin if you have to."

Naruto nodded and teleported to the hospital, where he had left his seal while helping to rebuild it, making it easier for him to reach there everyday. He ran around looking for Shizune, and found her standing outside a hospital room. He said, "Shizune nee-san, hurry, there's an emergency. Grandma Tsunade needs you!" Shizune said in alarm, "What's wrong?" Naruto seized her hand and said, "No time! Hold on!" He teleported to the roof of the Ninja Ops and ran down the stairs for the second time, pulling a bewildered Shizune along him. He reached the emergency operating room, and burst in. Shizune looked at Itachi and said, "Milady, that's..." Tsunade said, "Yes, Shizune, I know who that is. Itachi is a spy, working for us. He's in a bad condition right now, and we need to save him. The results will be catastrophic if we aren't able to."

Shizune opened her mouth, but Tsunade said, "There's no time to explain right now, Shizune, but I will explain later. For now, help me with the Life Sustain Jutsu, so that I can perform the ocular transplant." Shizune said, "Ocular Transplant?" Tsunade sighed and said, "I'll explain **later**. Come on!" She turned to Naruto and said, "Wait outside."

Naruto began to argue, but Tsunade roared, "**OUT NOW!**" and he ran out as fast as he could. He sat outside the room for a few minutes, before remembering about Sasuke, and teleported to the top of the Hokage monument. Sasuke was sitting cross-legged atop the monument, waiting for him, and as he appeared, Sasuke said, "How'd you get so fast? I didn't even see you run up here." Naruto said, "There's time for you to learn all that." He continued, "Grandma Tsunade is treating Itachi right now. We have to wait until she is done." Sasuke said, "Fine." Naruto sat next to him, and said, "So, what now?" Sasuke turned to him and said, "What do you mean?" Naruto said, "Well, now that you've completed your ambition, what next?" Sasuke said, "Like I said before, I've not yet achieved my ambition completely. I have yet to rebuild my clan, and after I have done that, my ambition will be fully complete."

Naruto smirked dirtily and said, "Is that another way of saying that you wanna hook up with someone?" He grinned slyly, at Sasuke's reaction. Sasuke's face turned red, and he coughed, saying, "Well, umm...that, that might be one way of looking at it. Shut up, Naruto, why am I talking to you anyway?" Naruto said, "Coz we're friends, ya know." Sasuke looked at him partly with wonder and partly with confusion. He said, "Tell me something, Naruto. All my life, I've thought of you as someone beneath me. I insulted you, embarrassed you, made you look like a fool. Why did you never give up on me?"

Naruto looked up to the sky, thinking about how to say what he wanted to. He finally spoke, "Sasuke, when I first met you, I saw the troubles that you were going through. You had no family just like me. What I didn't like about you was the cool guy attitude you had. That's why I stopped myself from approaching you. But I always knew that deep down, you were the same as me. When you insulted me, embarrassed me, I took it as an opportunity to work harder. Everything I've achieved in life, my strength, my speed, my skills, is all because of you. Because no matter how I tried to say otherwise, I always envied you and wanted to become as strong as you."

He grinned and said, "And no matter what anyone might say, I know in my heart that we share a strong bond of friendship. One that can never be broken no matter what happens between us." Sasuke remembered all the moments of them fighting, arguing, begrudgingly shaking hands with each other every time, working together as a team on missions, and walking together as a team. He said, "I suppose you're right. When Orochimaru offered me the power to kill Itachi, I tried to forget about the bonds I had with you guys, thinking that these bonds are what make people weak. But I realize now, that these bonds actually strengthen a ninja and make them better people. I tried to break these bonds, but I found that I couldn't. When I heard that Kakashi died, I couldn't stop feeling angry. That is why I helped you back then. And even now, here I am, after all this time, sitting next to you talking, even after I drilled a hole through your chest three years ago."

Naruto smiled in remembrance, and then said, "I look forward to fighting you again, Sasuke. That is the only way we will ever be able to keep pushing ourselves and getting stronger." Sasuke gave him a ghost of a smile and said, "I agree." Naruto said, "Come on, then. Let's go see if Grandma Tsunade is done. We need to talk about your position now, after all." Sasuke nodded and the two of them began to head down into the Ninja Ops. Naruto said, "Make sure you disguise yourself. The ninjas around here aren't going to be too happy to see you." Sasuke nodded and used a transformation jutsu to look like a regular shinobi. The two of them reached the emergency room, where they sat ouside, waiting for the operation to end. An hour or so later, Tsunade came out of the operating room along with Shizune, and looked at Naruto, and who seemed to be an unfamiliar shinobi. She said, "Who are you?"

Naruto said, "I'll explain later. How is he?" Tsunade said, "He'll be alright in a few days. He pushed himself to the limits, not only his chakra, but also his eyes. I'm secretly glad that Sasuke took his eyes, it allowed me to transplant other eyes. That will help him a lot now." Sasuke stood up.

"You implanted other eyes for Itachi? Whose eyes did you use?!"

"Who are you? And how do you know about Itachi anyway?"

Sasuke let go of his transformation, and both the females gasped. Tsunade dropped into a fighting stance immediately, but Naruto came in between and said, "Sasuke is not here to fight. He wants to return to the village." Tsunade's mouth fell open. She gaped at Naruto, who nodded firmly, and continued, "All his life, he's only wanted to kill Itachi. When he fought him today, he defeated Itachi, and didn't want to kill him. He's content with his victory and wants to return to the village now."

Tsunade said, "The ninjas will never accept him back, Naruto! He'll be hated by them throughout his entire life!" Naruto said, "Perhaps for a few months, or years. But once they realize that he means no harm, they will treat him right. After all, it happened to me as well. Until I defeated Pein, no one in the village used to trust me. Now they all look at me with respect." Tsunade couldn't refute his argument, and sighed. "Fine, I'll see what I can do. But you're going to be under watch for some time, Sasuke. I can't take any chances."

Sasuke nodded and said, "I understand. I would like to become a regular shinobi and resume service as soon as possible." Tsunade said, "That will have to be seen, after your test."

"Test?"

"Yes, seeing as you've been gone for a long time, we don't have any current records of your skills. Therefore, you shall undergo and examination which will give us an idea of your level of strength. It is usually taken for shinobi migrating from other villages, but it will work for you as well." Sasuke understood and he said, "Very well. I am ready to take any test." Tsunade said, "Alright, then. You should leave now. And make sure to use your transformation, until I make the announcement of your return, anyway." Sasuke said, "I have no place to go." The Hokage scratched her head and he continued, "Besides, I want to know whose eyes you used as substitutes for Itachi." Tsunade said, "Very well. Wait in my office, I shall be there soon. Then I shall answer your questions. But in turn, you shall have to answer some of mine."

"Fair deal." Sasuke used a transformation and began walking off towards the Hokage's office, hands in his pocket. Shizune said, "Do you honestly trust him, Naruto?" The boy said, "Sure, why wouldn't I? After all, he has nothing to gain from staying away from the village." Tsunade said, "This is getting a little too troublesome. Shizune, get Shikaku here. I need his advice. And get Sakura and Kakashi as well. They need to know about this." Shizune nodded and took off her medical gown, storing it into a scroll. She walked off, and Tsunade said, "Itachi is going to want to see you when he wakes up. So I want you to stay here for a while."

"What about Sasuke?"

"I'll handle him. Don't worry about it. Go in and wait. He should be waking up some time soon."

She walked off and Naruto went into the operating room. He sat on a stool next to Itachi's bed, and waited. As though he had sensed someone, Itachi opened his eyes. He looked to the right. His eyes widened as he saw the sharp image of Naruto sitting next to his bed, smiling. Naruto said, "Hey, you're awake. How are you feeling now?"

Itachi rubbed his head slowly, and said, "I...I feel tired. But my eyesight...wow!" He took in all the sights around him. Although there was not much to see, the simple pleasure of viewing things in razor sharp clarity was something he had lost a long time ago. Having it back suddenly filled him with exhilaration. Naruto said, "You were in a right state after Sasuke defeated you. You would've died if I had not brought you here." Itachi said, "Thank you, Naruto Uzumaki. You are unique. I have never met someone like you ever before. I never thought that Sasuke would return to the village, but you made it possible. For that, you have my eternal gratitude." Naruto said, "Come on, dude. What's with all that gratitude nonsense. I just wanted him back as much as you did. So, tell me more about yourself, Itachi. How did being a spy in the Akatsuki work out for you?" Itachi smiled at the boy's curiosity and began to tell his entire story to Naruto. The boy listened with ever growing astonishment.

Tsunade entered her office to see Sasuke sitting patiently in front of her desk. She thought, 'Well, at least that's a good sign.' She walked over and sat in front of him. She said, "I believe you had some questions to ask me?"

"Whose eyes did you use as transplants for Itachi?"

Tsunade replied without hesitation, "Shisui Uchiha's."

Sasuke stared at her in amazement. "Shisui Uchiha's eyes? But how did you get his eyes?"

"Apparently, hie right eye had been stolen by Danzo, and he gave his left eye to Itachi before committing suicide. After Naruto killed Danzo, I was able to retrieve Shisui's right eye from him, and Itachi gave us the left eye soon after."

"That reminds me, how was Naruto allowed to kill Danzo, a village elder? And what is with Itachi being the head of the Root organization?"

Tsunade replied, "He dabbled in illegal experiments, and he stole Uchiha Sharingans from their graves. That was enough already, but he tried to use Shisui's Kotoamatsukami against a fellow ninja of the village, and for that, he was labelled a traitor. The person he tried to use it on was Naruto himself, so I allowed Naruto to take him out."

Sasuke let this information sink in, and then said, "So, Itachi replaced him as the head of the Root, then? How did the rest of the organization react?" Tsunade sais, "Well, they weren't too happy at first, but when he told them of his story, they understood the sacrifices that he had made, and realized that he would die for the village, something that they had been brought up to do, themselves. So they embraced him with open arms afterwards."

"What about the Akatsuki? They are looking for him."

The Hokage replied, unperturbed, "Itachi is quite capable of protecting himself. If it weren't for you, actually, he would have a tougher time than he will now. Shisui's eyes worked wonderfully. They've completely restored his vision, and he is stronger than ever." Sasuke admitted, "I took his eyes from him. I want to transplant them instead of my own eyes." Tsunade frowned and said, "You eyes are stronger than his. Why would you want to use his eyes?"

Sasuke said, "You do not know the secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan. Will you be able to perform the transplant?" Tsunade snorted and asked, "Of course I can." Sasuke took out two small tubes and said, "These are Itachi's eyes. I would like you to transplant them into my eye sockets right now." Tsunade said, "Right now?! Are you kidding me?" Sasuke shrugged and said, "Are you incapable of doing it?"

Tsunade bristled and retorted, "Don't get on my nerves. You won't like me when I'm angry." Sasuke held out the tubes and said, "I'm ready when you are." She grudgingly took the tubes and said, "Lie down on the floor." Sasuke obeyed and she began the procedure for the ocular transplant. A few minuted later, she was done, and Sasuke got up, his eyes closed, saying, "It burns."

"That will happen for a while. Best to keep your eyes closed for now." He nodded. Just then, a knock on the door sounded and Tsunade said, "Enter." The door burst open and Sakura came running in. She took one look at Sasuke and then rushed towards him. The boy was unable to see her coming, but sensed her chakra. 'Oh, boy. Here we go,' he thought.

Sakura pulled him into a bone crushing hug, and tears streamed out of her eyes. "SASUKE! I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE BACK!" Kakashi and Shizune entered the room after her. Sasuke's eyes still closed, he said, "Umm, Sakura, I'm trying to breathe here." She pulled away from him after a few moments, and said, "Why aren't you opening your eyes?" He said, "I just had a transplant. They are burning." Sakura looked at him in confusion, and then at Tsunade, who sighed, "It's too complicated to explain." Sakura shrugged and said, "Whatever. I'm glad that Sasuke is back, and that's all that matters to me." Kakashi walked over to him, and said, "It's good to see you again, Sasuke. I couldn't believe it when Shizune-san came and told me that you have returned." He looked over at the general direction of his former mentor and replied, "Well, there's something in Naruto that just wants you to listen to him. And I was able to defeat Itachi, after all." Kakashi nodded, then realized that Sasuke couldn't see it, and said, "I want to hear about that later. I also want to see what you are capable of now."

Sasuke said, "Sure enough. When I'm able to open my eyes again." Tsunade said, "Whoa whoa whoa. Hold on there, you two. Sasuke has to give his test, and only if he passes, he will be able to resume his service as a Konoha ninja." Kakashi snorted, something most unlike his normal behaviour, and said, "Sasuke is stronger than me. If there's one person who could pass this exam faster than anyone else, it would have to be Sasuke."

Just then, the door opened again, and Naruto walked in. Sakura ran towards him and he blanched. But she pulled him into a hug as well, and said, "Thank you so much! What would I do without you!" He pulled her off gently, and said, "Come on, Sakura. What kind of friend do you take me for, if I can't fulfil one single promise I made to you?" Sakura's eyes filled with tears again. Tsunade smiled and said, "Well, I must say, it's good to see Team 7 back again." Naruto said, "He's awake now, Grandma Tsunade."

Sakura questioned, "Who's awake?"

Naruto hesitated and Tsunade said, "She needs to know now. You two are too close to her to keep her out of this." Naruto and Sasuke both nodded at the exact same time, without even noticing it. Naruto said, "Alright. But who'se going to tell it to her? It's a big story, and quite fragmented." Tsunade said, "I want to know as well. When did you learn about him? And how? I need to hear it from you." Sakura said, "Okay, hold on here. Please start at the beginning." Kakashi cut in, "It's about Itachi Uchiha." Sakura frowned, "Itachi? What about him?" Tsunade began explaining Itachi's past to Sakura. Her reaction was similar to Naruto's and Sasuke's when they had heard the truth. After she was done, Sakura said, "Itachi is a spy of this village? And all these years, Sasuke has been chasing after him, and he's been following orders from the village?" Tsunade nodded gravely, and said, "Even I didn't have any idea about this, since I left the village quite a long time ago. But Itachi is the ultimate spy, and no one would ever have been able to do what he has been able to."

Sakura said, "So, why is he back now, if he's done such a great job?" Kakashi said, "Ever since you and Naruto took out Danzo, there's been a need to have a head for the Root organization." Sakura said, "But the Root has been disbanded!" Kakashi shook his head in disappointment, "Sakura, how can you be so gullible as to believe that? That was only to calm down the civilians. The Root must continue to function, in order to keep the village functioning properly." Sakura realized what he was talking about. Then she said, "So, what happened next, then?" Tsunade said, "I want to hear from Naruto now. Where did you find Itachi and how?" Naruto explained how he had been sending clones to scout out the country everyday, and how he had found Itachi after a long time. How he had demanded to hear the truth from Itachi, who had shown it to him. Tsunade said, "Alright, so he used the Tsukuyomi to show you his life?" Naruto replied, "Yep. He told me that the Tsukuyomi could be used to help others as well, instead of being a jutsu that causes harm only."

Sasuke took off from there, telling them what Naruto had told him. He avoided going into the details of him losing control, and Naruto didn't give him away either. Sasuke told them of how Itachi had come there, and how the two of them had fought, with Sasuke winning. He told Sakura how he spared Itachi's life and took his eyes instead, to become stronger. Sakura said, "You took his eyes? That's horrible, Sasuke!" Sasuke shrugged and said, "I'll do whatever it takes to become stronger. And he deserved it anyway. I spared his life, what else should I have done?" Sakura looked at the boy in amazement, and a little shock, realizing as she did, that he was no longer the boy who she had fallen in love with.

Tsunade said, "Anyway, I was able to transplant Shisui's eyes into Itachi's sockets, thanks to you and Naruto killing Danzo." Sakura was still staring at Sasuke. Naruto realized that she had become aghast at what Sasuke had done, and he walked over to her. He decided to lie to her, and whispered in her ear, "Itachi told Sasuke to take his eyes. He just doesn't want to admit it, since it will make him look weak." Sakura turned around to face him and he winked, whispering, "He wants to make a scary impression on you people." Sakura's face cleared up, and she said, "Alright, I get it."

Kakashi said, "That's all very well, but how is he now?" Naruto said, "He's resting. Chakra exhaustion and losing his eyesight took a toll on him. Grandma Tsunade was able to treat him in time. He's down in the emergency room." Kakashi said, "If I may, Milady?" Tsunade nodded, but said, "Don't make it too long. I want him to sleep for as long as he can." Kakashi bowed slightly and left the room. Tsunade said, "Now that the three of you are together again, I wanted to ask you something. Are you willing to be a team again?" Naruto and Sakura replies instantaneously, "Yes." Sasuke replied at the same time, "No." Both Naruto and Sakura stared at him in shock. He said dismissively, "I don't think that I would do well on a team. I'm not used to working in a pack. I'm better off alone. I've given it a little thought now, and I want to join the ANBU."

Tsunade immediately understood what Sasuke meant and said, "That is not possible, unfortunately." Sasuke frowned, "Why?" Tsunade grinned and said, "You're still a Genin, after all." There was a moment of silence, and then Naruto and Sakura burst out into peals of laughter. Sasuke stared towards their direction in annoyance, and said, "I had expected you to be a little more mature, Sakura. But you're as bad as Naruto, even worse, I think." Sakura stopped laughing, but continued to giggle. Naruto said, "I know it looks bad, Sasuke, but you've gotta admit, that was pretty damn funny." Tsunade was hiding a smile as well. She said, "Unless you are able to prove yourself extremely capable in your exam, you will remain a Genin until the next Chunin exams."

Sasuke humphed, and said, "Very well." As he said it, he realized that his eyes had stopped hurting, and he opened them slowly. As his vision adjusted, he realized that he could see much farther than before. He went and looked out the window, seeing almost to the end of the village easily. He turned around, and faced his two teammates. Tsunade said, "So, how's your vision?"

Sasuke replied, "Perfect." He activated his Sharingan, and looked around. Then he activated the Mangekyo, and Naruto said, "Your eyes..." Sasuke said, "What about them?" Naruto replied, "They've changed." Tsunade produced a small mirror, and gave it to the boy. He looked into the mirror, noticing the change in the design of his eyes. His star like design had now evolved with three thick lines in the middle. He thought, 'This is it, then. The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. I no longer have to fear going blind again.' He said, "If that is all, then, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade shook her head. She said, "You need a place to stay. And I can't give you any, until I announce that you've returned." Sasuke said, "Not to worry. I'll stay at Tanzaku Town. I've been staying there for a while now anyway." Naruto said, "I'll leave you there, if you want." Sasuke frowned, "What do you mean?" Naruto said, "Hold on to my hand." Sasuke said, "No way!"

Naruto realized what Sasuke was thinking and said angrily, "It's nothing like that, baka!" He held Sasuke's shoulder and teleported to Tanzaku Town. Sasuke said, "What the hell? How did we get here so quickly? Are you using some sort of space-time manipulation jutsu?" Naruto's eyebrows raised at Sasuke's quick understanding, and he said, "Yeah, it is. I gotta go, but I'll meet you tomorrow." He vanished in front of Sasuke, and reappeared on the roof of the Ninja Ops building, thinking, 'I've got to make a mark in Grandma Tsunade's office.'

He went back to her office, and saw Kakashi and Sakura sitting in front of Tsunade. She was explaining something about some regulations, and when she saw him, she said, "Come on, Naruto. We need to talk about Sasuke's exam." Naruto said, "What does it matter? No matter what you throw at him, he's going to be able to pass it. He's as strong as me, no doubt about it. And trying not to be a braggart, but I'm pretty strong."

Tsunade said, "Do you really think he's as strong as you?" Naruto retorted, "I watched him fight in front of me. Trust me when I say, he's as strong as me." Tsunade said, "Very well. I'll take your word for it. But what about the rest of the village? They aren't going to do so well. I'll need to inform the heads of the various clans. Which reminds me, Shizune, why isn't Shikaku here yet?" Shizune said, "I don't know. He said he would be here as soon as possible."

Tsunade shrugged and continued, "That man is as lazy as his son. Anyway, Sasuke's return is going to have a big impact throughout the elemental nations. No doubt the rest of the villages are not going to be happy about me forgiving a rogue ninja." Naruto threw his hands up and said, "Who cares? If they've got a problem, tell them to deal with it. Sasuke's always belonged to this village."

Tsunade said, "It's not that simple. His name is in the Bingo Books. All the ninjas in the other villages know him as an A-Rank criminal. It will take a long time before they all learn of his return to the village." Sakura said, "Surely there must be some way to make this ordeal easier." Kakashi said, "There is a way." Tsunade, Sakura and Naruto all looked at him. He said, "I believe that you should call a meeting of the Council of Shadows." Tsunade raised her eyebrows. "That might work, actually. Thanks, Kakashi, that's a valid idea."

He inclined his head, and Naruto said, "You met Itachi, Kakashi sensei?" He nodded, and said, "Itachi's finding it hard to sleep, with his new-found vision."

Sakura said, "Can I see Itachi, Tsunade-sama?"

"I don't see why not. But why?"

"I don't know, myself. I just want to ask him a few questions."

"Alright, I guess. Just make sure you keep it simple. Try not to ask anything that will stir up emotions."

Sakura sighed and said, "Never mind, then. Probably some other time." Tsunade realized what she had meant to ask, and smiled, saying, "I know how you feel, Sakura. I'd ask too, if I were you. But he needs rest." Sakura said, "I understand, Tsunade-sama." Tsunade said, "Alright, then. The three of you are dismissed. Head to Training Ground 44 tomorrow, and we will see Sasuke demonstrate his skills." Team 7 nodded. Sakura suddenly realized the significance of the number, and said, "Ground 44? The Forest of Death?" Tsunade grinned, "I'm glad you caught on." She gestured for them to leave, and they did. Outside the building, the three of them parted, Naruto heading towards the hospital where he was currently bunking, ever since he had helped rebuild it. Sakura and Kakashi headed to the shelters, talking about what kind of challenges Sasuke might have to face the next day.

Tsunade was busy writing something, and didn't even look up when the door knocked, saying, "Come in." Shikaku Nara entered and said, "I'm here, Milady. Forgive my lateness." Tsunade said, "Come, sit." He did, and she finally looked up, crossing her fingers together.

"There's been a situation."

Shikaku folded his hands. He said, "What is it?"

"Sasuke Uchiha is returning to the village."

The normally calm shinobi jumped up and said, "What?" Tsunade gestured for him to sit. He sat down, but said, "Why would he suddenly return to the village?" Tsunade proceeded to tell him everything that had happened. She said, "Keep in mind that this is strictly confidential. None of this should get out." Shikaku said, "Of course. So, are you planning on taking **the test**?"

Tsunade admitted, "There is pretty much no need to do so, if what Naruto says is true. But this is going to be necessary for a political reason. I want all the leaders of all the clans to watch him tomorrow." Shikaku understood. "You want all the leaders to inform their clans, and the test is the only way they will be pursuaded?" Tsunade said, "Count on you to catch onto that."

Shikaku said, "Still, organizing such an event is not going to be easy. What with Inoichi gone off on a mission, and Hiashi Hyuga not at ease with the current state of the village, this is going to be a tough one."

"Don't worry about Hiashi, I'll take care of him. What I want is for you to contact Inoichi. You have the transmitter, right?" Shikaku nodded, "I always have it with me, just in case the cellulars don't work." Tsunade said, "Good. Contact him as soon as you can, and make sure that he's able to tell the other leaders." Shikaku said, "I will. Is that all?" Tsunade said, "I'm holding the exam in the Forest of Death." For the second time that day, Shikaku showed an unusual reaction. "The Forest of Death?" Tsunade nodded firmly. "It is the only place where he will be able to showcase his talent properly."

The man realized who they were talking about and said apathetically, "I guess that is right. Okay, I'll take my leave then." He bowed and left the office. Tsunade looked back at her paper and sighed. She got up out of her chair and walked to the window, looking out at the sight of the village being rebuilt, and thought, 'Tomorrow is going to be a big day.'


	45. Chapter 45: Sasuke's Test

**Chapter 45: Sasuke's Test; Naruto's Mission**

Early next morning, Sasuke was at the Forest of Death, scoping out the area, wondering whether Tsunade had made any arrangements for the test. There seemed to be none, so he waited outside one of the gates. Soon after, Naruto and Sakura showed, up, followed by Kakashi. The three of them greeted him a good morning, and he returned the greeting, albeit with his cold attitude. Sakura thought, 'Well, at least that hasn't changed. He's still cold as ever.'

Tsunade walked up along with Shizune, and greeted all of them. She was slightly surprised to see Kakashi there and said, "I thought you wouldn't make it here until after the test, Kakashi. How come you're here so early?"

Everyone laughed, and Kakashi, mildly annoyed, said, "There are some things that are important enough to keep punctuality for. I want to see how Sasuke's skills have summed up."

Sasuke said, "Well, if we could get started, then?"

Tsunade said, "No, we're waiting for the leaders of the other clans. We can't have such a huge test without them knowing about it. They've all been asked to come here, and all have accepted." She thought about her talk with Hiashi Hyuga and sighed. A couple of minutes later, all of the clan leaders had arrived, save Inoichi.

Naruto looked around, and when he could not find Inoichi, he asked Tsunade about him. Tsunade said, "Inoichi is on a mission, therefore he will not be present. His decision will be taken jointly by Choza Akimichi and Shikaku Nara."

Naruto gave her a thumbs up. Tsunade said, "Are you ready, Sasuke?" He nodded.

Tsunade opened the gate of the Forest of Death, the one nearest to them. Sasuke stepped inside, and Tsunade said, "You will be facing various challenges in there. It is up to your abilities to survive in there, and make it to the main building. The faster you make it, the more chances you have. Also, you cannot make it to the main building unless you complete all of the challenges. Therefore, do not attempt to do so, since the building is sealed away. All the challenges you will face inside will determine your strength, speed, endurance, stamina, intelligence, and stealth, along with your knack for TaiJutsu, GenJutsu, and NinJutsu. Any questions?"

Sasuke said, "Just one. How will I know where all the challenges are?" Tsunade said, "That is a good question. Once you walk the path from this gate, you will find a map which leads to all the challenges. Once you finish all of them, you will be able to enter the building. We will be monitoring you, so you need not worry about whether or not the seal will open. There are a total of twenty five challenges, and you must complete all of them in order to be successful in this challenge."

Sasuke said, "Okay, I'm ready."

Tsunade said, "You will have two days to complete all the challenges, although a shinobi of your skill should not take more than a single day to complete them. Best of luck. Begin!" Sasuke rushed in, so quickly that those who blinked never had a chance to see him. Hiashi Hyuga activated his Byakugan to make sure he hadn't been surprised by a GenJutsu. He saw the incredible speed of the boy, and thought, 'Fascinating!'

Sasuke had enabled his Sharingan instantly, and was able to find the map before five minutes had passed by. To his surprise, however, there was nothing on the map. He thought about Tsunade's words regarding intelligence, and remembered the secret jutsu used by Konoha to blank their information so that it would be rendered useless if it fell into enemy hands. He quickly focused his chakra and let it flow into the map in the particular pattern he had been taught at the Academy itself. The map began to reveal itself. Tsunade and the others had reached the main building already, courtesy of Naruto, and were watching him on the monitors.

Tsunade said, "Alright, looks like he's not forgotten the Academy training. I didn't expect him to remember so quickly, but it's a good sign that he does." Naruto and Kakashi nodded. Sakura was busy watching the monitors, and thought, 'Do your best, Sasuke.'

The raven haired boy reached the spot of the first challenge, and a sense of Deja Vu returned to him, as he realized that this was the place where he had first used the Curse Mark. He touched the spot on the back of his neck absent mindedly, and remembered that it was gone now. As he looked around the area with his Sharingan, he found a couple of discrepancies in the surroundings. He grinned, and put his hand together, intoning, "Release." The air around him became clear, showing fifteen shuriken targets placed all around the area. Sasuke thought, 'Easy as pie.' He took out fifteen shurikens and lined them up in his hands. Using the Uchiha Throwing Technique, he was able to hit all fifteen of them in a single fluid movement. All the clan leaders were taken aback, and each of them thought separately, 'He's good.'

After the last shuriken found it's mark, all the targets fell to the ground, revealing kunais which fired themselves at him. Sasuke was able to avoid every one of them, using his Sharingan to the full effect. After he finished dodging every one of them, he pulled out the map and noticed the location of the challenge disappear. He realized that the challenge had been completed and quickly ran to the next location.

Tsunade turned around to the clan leaders and said, "Well, based on this first challenge, what do you think?"

Shikaku spoke first, "I think the other villages are going to be extremely upset with you."

Tsunade grinned. She turned to Naruto and said, "You've been here long enough, aren't you forgetting something?"

Naruto said, "What?"

The Hokage replied, "The mission to the Land of Wind, Naruto!"

Naruto smacked his forehead and said, "Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that! I should get going, I'll see you guys later."

He vanished, and Sakura said, "What do you mean, Land of Wind, Lady Tsunade?"

The Sannin turned to her and said, "Gaara requested help in a mission, so I am sending Naruto over."

Sakura was surprised and said, "You don't think it was a bit of a foolhardy move to send him on his own? I mean, what if he does something stupid?"

Tsunade turned towards the monitor again, and said, "Naruto's grown, more than you know, Sakura. He is fully capable of making decisions now. And he won't be able to do something stupid anyway, with the Kazekage standing beside him."

Sakura gasped, "Gaara is going to be on the mission with him? Just what kind of mission is it?"

Tsunade replied, "It's classified. I can't tell you until Naruto returns, and maybe not after either. Let's just go back to seeing Sasuke's test, shall we?" Sakura nodded, and returned her gaze to the love of her life. Sasuke was busy fighting a giant lizard now, using his katana to try and poke the eyes out of the lizard.

As Kakashi looked at the lizard, however, he noticed its eyes and said, "Milady, that's..."

Tsunade nodded curtly, and signed subtly, 'Nagato is helping out with his Summoning Animals.' Kakashi understood and moved his neck just a crack to indicate it. They went back to watching the Uchiha, marveling at his speed and moves. Sasuke was able to puncture one of the lizard's eyes, causing it to disappear. He looked at his map and noted the spot disappear, thinking, 'If these are the sorts of challenges I am facing, I should be done within a few hours.' He quickly took off, running towards the next point.

Naruto reached the top of the village gates, and jumped down. He said, "Hey, Raido." Raido looked up at him, and smiled, "Hi, Naruto. Where are you off to?"

Naruto replied, "Mission at the Land of Wind. Can you get the papers, quickly?"

Raido gave him a thumbs up, "Sure thing. Just a moment." He took out some papers from the drawers under the desk where he was sitting for his watch, and gave them to Naruto. He signed and stuffed one copy of the papers into his pocket, giving the other back to Raido. He saluted to the boy, and watched him run off.

Naruto ran at full speed, using his chakra and stamina to reach the border of the Land of Fire within half a day. He took a rest there for a while, and then made his way to the Forest of Wind, where he was accosted by a group of bandits. 'Are these the guys that Gaara was talking about? Maybe not, they are too far from the capital city.' The lead bandit was carrying a longsword, which reminded Naruto of the Kubukiribocho handled by Zabuza.

Sure enough, the bandit said, "Hand over all your belongings if you don't want to get hurt. It is not a good idea to mess with one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."

Naruto looked at him as though he were mad. He thought, 'This guy's pretending to be one of the Swordsmen of the Mist? How thick is he?' He decided to play along for a while, and said, "What are you doing in the Land of Wind, if you're a Swordsman of the Mist?"

As though the man had heard the question a thousand times, he said smoothly, "I was thrown out of the Mist a long time ago. Something to do with killing the Mizukage. I hope you understand." For extra effect, he licked the sharp edge of his sword with his tongue, hoping to frighten Naruto. The blonde almost burst out laughing, but managed to contain himself.

The other bandits had surrounded the boy by now, and he said, "So, what if I don't give you my belongings?"

The leader of the bandits pointed the sword at him and said, "Don't try my patience, boy."

Naruto took out his staff blade from the scabbard which Ino had given him. He said, "Come on, then." The bandit leader laughed, and said, "You think you can fight against me, with that puny toy?" Naruto grinned and decided to frighten the bandits. He put a large amount of wind energy into the staff blade, causing it to transform into an extra large broadsword, larger than Zabuza's Kubukiribocho. The result was rather unwieldy, but it did its job of scaring the bandits perfectly.

The leader of the bandits stared at the sword in fear, and thought, 'What sorcery is this?' The other bandits began to edge back, and Naruto took advantage of their hesitation to swing his sword directly at the leader. The guy was paralysed with fear, and was unable to do anything save block it with his sword, which was cleaved through within seconds. He stared at the two pieces of the sword which he now held, one in each hand, Naruto advanced on him. The man let out a noise that sounded highly similar to a mouse that had just been trodden on.

Naruto reached him and held out his wind sword so it's tip was just touching the bandit's neck. He whispered, "If I ever see you again, you will not live to tell the tale. Understood?" The man nodded, trembling. Naruto rescinded the broadsword and put the staff blade back into it's scabbard. He said, "Scram!" All the bandits took to their heels as though wolves were after them.

'Not a bad day's work. They won't be troubling others again. I should tell Gaara about them.' He began running all out again, realizing that he had lost some time at the expense of scaring the bandits. As he ran through the forest, it began to get more and more sparse, until he reached the desert. There was a Sand village outpost at the start of the desert, and he decided to go and ask them which direction the capital city was. 'It wouldn't do good to get lost in the desert.'

He reached the outpost, and the two shinobi standing guard outside held his hand up to stop him. Naruto said, "Good day. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, here on orders from the Leaf Village. I've been sent to help on a mission in the capital city. I need directions, since I've never been there before and it would help to know where exactly I'm heading."

One of the two of them stepped out and asked, "Do you have any papers as proof?" Naruto nodded, "I do," and took the papers out of his pocket. He gave them to the shinobi, who read them, and nodded in approval. He gave the papers back to Naruto, and said, "Come on in. We have a map of the desert inside, so you will be able to figure out how to reach the capital city without getting lost."

Naruto headed inside carefully, and the two shinobi entered after him. There was a giant map on the wall in front of him, and he saw the various landmarks around on the map with astonishment. "I didn't know that there were so many towns in the Land of Wind!"

The shinobi who had checked his papers said, "They are scattered all around the desert, so ninjas mostly don't encounter them. Any other village's ninja mostly always comes to the Sand village, so they don't know much about these other towns." He pointed to the western side of the map and said, "There, the capital city is that way. Since the sun is setting, you can use it to keep track of the direction. Mind you, the route there is a little tougher than the Sand village, since there is absolutely nothing but sand. So you could get lost quite easily. Although seeing that you've been selected for a mission there, the Hokage must have been sure about you."

Naruto said, "Thank you for the help. I appreciate it."

The shinobi bowed slightly, "I'm glad to be of service." Naruto headed out of the outpost, and the shinobi said, "I should warn you that the soldiers of the capital city don't like ninjas, so they will probably not allow you in. They even give us a hard time, so imagine how they will treat you. Wait outside the city until whoever is accompanying you shows up."

Naruto smiled and gave him a thumbs up. He looked up and saw the sun on his right, and began to follow it towards the capital city.

The first shinobi looked at the other and said, "A few years ago, we used to hate each other. But the Sand and Leaf get along fine now, huh?"

The second one said, "Yeah, all thanks to Gaara-sama. Who knows what would have happened to the Sand without him?" They continued keeping a watch on the border. Naruto raced towards his destination, always having to adjust his path, as he kept going off track.

'Damn, they weren't wrong when they said I would get lost if I wasn't careful. I better reach quickly, or I'm gonna have a tough time when the sun sets.' He kept going, stopping only once to take a swig of water that he carried in a scroll to keep it cool. As the sun began to set, he increased his speed, and beads of sweat began to line his face as he became more and more nervous. Just as he was thinking about asking Kyuubi to help him out by giving him chakra, a wall loomed up in front of him. He heaved a sigh of relief and stopped running, slowing down to a gentle jog.

As he approached the wall, he saw guard standing atop the wall, and noticed arrows fitted to bows, all trained at him. 'Holy crap, that's terrifying. What a cold welcome!' He stopped and put his hands up to show that he was friendly. A door opened in the wall, out of nowhere. It was colored to be synonymous with the wall, so Naruto hadn't noticed it at first. Five guards came walking out and Naruto walked over to them slowly, keeping a careful distance.

One of the guards asked, "State the nature of your business." Naruto said, "I'm here on request by the Kazekage. He said that he will meet me here and that there is a mission for me here. Here are my immigration papers. I already got them checked at the first outpost outside the Forest of Wind."

He put one hand in his pocket, and the four guards behind the leader put arrows to their bows immediately. The blonde said, "Whoa, calm down. Just getting my immigration papers." He took out the papers and handed it to the first guard, who read them through carefully, probably looking for signs of forgery.

He said, "This mentions nothing about any mission." Naruto nodded, saying, "It's classified. Think about it, even the Kazekage himself is coming here, it has to be something important, right?"

The guard handed over the paper and took a good look at Naruto. Based on his body language and honest looking face, the guard said, "Very well. Follow us. Any funny business, and you shall be killed immediately." Naruto nodded seriously, and followed the lead guard. The other four followed him, arrows still fit to their bows.

'Wow, Grandma Tsunade wasn't joking when she told me about the security. This is intense.'

He followed the guard towards the gate, and the guard said, "Wait here while I speak to the captain." He went inside, and Naruto waited out, along with the rest of the guards.

He said, "Is it always like this around here?" One of the four who had remained back said suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, is it always so strict around here?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Ever since the previous Daimyo was assassinated, we don't take any chances."

Naruto understood and said, "Alright, I get it now. Have any of you seen the Kazekage arrive by any chance?" All the guards shook their head slightly, before going back to their rigid positions. Naruto thought, 'These guys sure mean business. Best not to talk too much.'

Just then, Gaara emerged from the door and said, "Welcome to the Land of Wind's capital, Naruto. It is good to see you again."

Naruto grinned and said, "Man, Gaara, some welcome this is! I thought I'm gonna be shot as soon as I reached within a hundred meters from here!" Gaara smiled petulantly and replied, "It always is like this around here."

Seeing the two of them on such friendly terms, the other guards relaxed slightly. Gaara gestured and Naruto followed him into the city.

They walked through the town, and Naruto said, "How come you've got no bodyguards with you this time?"

Gaara said, "I'm in a strictly civilian village, Naruto. Even the guards here are all civilians. You think we are in any danger?" Naruto shrugged, "I guess not. But civilians can be tough to handle as well, sometimes." Gaara replied, "Yes, but only if they are too many. And I doubt that they would try to attack their own Kazekage."

They walked in silence for a while, before Gaara stopped at a building. He said, "Come on."

He entered the building, and Naruto followed him inside. It was a luxuriously furnished building, and he and Gaara walked to the top of it. Gaara knocked, and the door opened. A man nodded, and bowed, before walking out. Gaara came in and asked Naruto to shut the door behind him. Naruto did as he was requested. Then he said, "So, what's the mission?"

Gaara said, "Hold on." He signed and said, "Ninja Arts: Five Sense Barrier!" Nothing visible happened, but Naruto knew that this was a barrier constructed to obstruct anyone outside it from entering, or from hearing anything that was said within the barrier. He said, "Is this about the Hidden Cloud?"

Gaara nodded. He said, "First of all, Naruto, I have to tell you that everything I say is top secret. It must not be revealed to anyone except the Hokage. Not even anyone close to her. The news must reach her directly. I cannot trust anyone with this intel. It is extremely dangerous. Even as I speak, there are ninjas from the Kumogakure who have probably been sent to assassinate me. It is why i chose this place to speak, since they will never be able to make it here without being detected. Also, they would have been able to silence me only when I was at a location apart from the Sand village, but I chose this place, so that won't be a problem anymore."

Naruto said, "What about when you're travelling?" Gaara smiled and said, "I don't travel by foot, Naruto, have you forgotten? I use my sand to travel by air." Naruto remembered and grinned. "So, enemies won't be able to attack you while you're travelling. Also, since this location is as secure as your village, you won't be attacked here as well. Nice strategy. But why didn't you just call me to the Sand village itself?" Gaara said, "There are too many ninjas there. And no other ninja must hear about this. It could prove catastrophic."

Naruto raised his eyebrows, and Gaara said, "I am serious."

Naruto said, "Alright, then. Let's get straight to it. What's going on? And I'm assuming that the bandit story was just a cover up?"

Gaara nodded, saying, "This area is too well protected. Even civilians cannot commit a small crime here without being thrown into prison."

Naruto simply nodded, having experienced the hostility of the guards first hand.

Gaara continued, "A few weeks ago, I heard a rumor about something that had gone down in the Kumogakure, so I sent an agent of mine to investigate. I've received intel from him regarding the Kumogakure. It seems that the Fourth Raikage has been assassinated. He has been replaced by someone else, who no one knows about at all. Even most of the ninjas in his village are uninformed about the change in the rule. Only a select few have been informed, and they are the ones after me now. My agent also said that the Akatsuki may have something to do with this."

Naruto's hands scrunched up into fists at the mention of the Akatsuki. "Those damn jerks, always up to no good!"

Gaara waited for him to calm down, before continuing, "The agent I had sent were killed in the process. However, our Black Ops have their own means of communication, and he was able to send this intel over to me as he died. I regret his loss, however, there is nothing I can do about it."

Naruto said, "So you want me to tell this to Grandma Tsunade?" Gaara replied, "Yes, and it must be done as soon as possible. Seeing you travelling anywhere near here will be a sure confirmation for the Kumogakure ninjas who are after me, that the news has been transferred to you, and they will most likely go after you then. Also, tell Lady Tsunade that I have sent another team to find out whatever I can about this change, and inform her not to call a meeting of the Council of Shadows if she can avoid doing so. I have already sent out messengers to the rest of the villages regarding the Council of Shadows notice, but I haven't told any of them the reason why."

Naruto said, "This is something quite different, isn't it? I thought about a lot of things that could be the reason for you to call me here, but this never even crossed my mind."

Gaara said, "You can stay here for the night. This is my suite, and I am using that bed over there in that room. You can bunk in the other room. We will head out tomorrow morning. Make sure that you travel as fast as possible."

Naruto said, "There's no reason to worry. I won't need to travel anymore." Gaara frowned slightly and said, "What do you mean?"

Naruto said, "I guess it won't hurt to tell you, since you're from another village anyway." He began to tell Gaara his story and Gaara listened wide-eyed.

After Naruto was done, Gaara said, "That is great news! Then the Hokage made the right choice, sending you for this mission! Now I have nothing to fear, Naruto. This is very good to hear. But will you be able to travel such a long distance?"

Naruto said, "No, but I've marked the outpost at the edge of the Forest of Wind. I'll make a jump there, and immediately go to the Leaf after that."

Gaara heaved a sigh of relief and said, "If you would've told me about this sooner, it would have been much easier for me. Do you know how stressful it is to know something that no one else does, and to hide it from everyone?"

Naruto said, "Sure do, you're only the fifth person to know about this." Gaara said, "You continue to amaze me every time, Naruto."

Naruto said, "Hold on." He took a kunai out of his pocket, and said, "Take this kunai. It has my seal on it. Once you're back at your village, keep it at the entrance, at the guard post. That way, I will be able to reach the Sand immediately, whenever I need to."

Gaara took the kunai, and studied the markings. He said, "This is extraordinary. As a child, I had always been told stories about the Yellow Flash, the Fourth Hokage, who used the Hirashin to take out an entire army out in a few minutes." Naruto said, "Yeah, he was a great ninja."

Gaara put the kunai into his pouch, and said, "Alright, it's getting late. We should turn in now. Have a good night's rest, Naruto." Naruto wished him a good night as well, and the two of them turned in.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, courtesy of the Kazekage, Naruto began preparing to leave. Gaara said, "Make sure you tell the Hokage everything, Naruto. Don't miss out anything."

Naruto replied, "Sure thing. You can count on me, Gaara."

Gaara inclined his head, and the two of them walked out of the building. They went to the city gates, and the guards bowed to Gaara. Naruto grinned and said, "Thanks for the hospitality, guys. I'll enjoy visiting again." The guards looked at him in confusion. Gaara smiled as well.

The two of them headed out into the desert, and Gaara's gourd opened up. A cloud of dense sand formed in front of him, and he said, "This is it then, Naruto. It was good to meet you. I shall keep your kunai at the guard post without fail. Come visit me sometimes. It's boring, being a Kazekage."

Naruto grinned, "I'll try my best to make it there as soon as possible." The two ninjas shook hands. Gaara took off, and Naruto waved him goodbye. The Kazekage disappeared into the clouds after a while and Naruto got ready to teleport. He vanished, reappearing at the outpost where he had seen the directions to the capital.

He went up to the guards, and said, "Hello, good morning to you. I just wanted to thank you again for showing me the map. I was able to complete my mission easily, thanks to you guys."

The shinobi stared at him, and then said, "Where did you suddenly appear from?" Naruto grinned and said, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. See ya!" he vanished again, and the shinobi blinked. He rubbed his eyes, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The other guard was as stymied as he was, and said, "It must've been some sort of clone and shunshin combination." The first one shrugged. They went back to duty. Naruto, meanwhile, had reached the capital city of the Land of Fire, deciding that it would've been a large toll on his chakra reserves to directly teleport to the Leaf. From the capital, he made the jump to the Hidden Leaf gates, and panted slightly. 'Wow, I've still not got used to making large transitions. I need to practice this to increase my reserves even more. I certainly won't be able to make a direct jump from here to the Sand.'

He decided to walk to the Ninja Ops building, before remembering that Tsunade would most probably be at the Forest of Death. He split a clone off towards the Ninja Ops building, which was further away from the gates than the Forest of Death, and decided to head there. In a few minutes, he reached the Forest of Death to find it deserted.

'The test is over so quickly? Hehe, Sasuke must've aced it.' He began to run to the Ninja Ops building. As he was halfway there, his clone dispelled, telling him that the Hokage was sitting there. He quickly made his way to the Ninja Ops, and knocked on the door. Tsunade said, "Enter."

He went in, and Tsunade said, "Oh, good. You're here. Close the door." He closed the door behind him, and Tsunade activated a barrier seal similar to the one Gaara had made. She said, "Well, what's the news?"

Naruto relayed his information to her, word for word, and said, "Gaara suspects that the Akatsuki may have something to do with this." Tsunade banged the desk, and said angrily, "Of course they must have! The Eight Tails is in that village!"

Naruto's eyes widened. He said, "Shit, we need to get the Eight Tails out of there as soon as possible! They must be trying to capture him!"

Tsunade said, "That is impossible. The Eight Tails is sealed within a Jinchuuriki, who is the Raikage's brother. He would never leave the village."

Naruto said, "We've gotta do something! We can't let the Akatsuki have the Eight Tails!" Tsunade said, "I KNOW THAT, BAKA! This is too important to just sit thinking about it. Go and find Inoichi Yamanaka. He returned from his mission early, he must be at the Yamanaka shelter. Tell him to contact the clan leaders again and have them assemble at the meeting room in the basement by today afternoon. GO, QUICK!"

Naruto rushed out of the building, and headed over to Inoichi's shelter. He saw the man sitting outside, carving something with a kunai. He said, "Inoichi-san, a word."

Inoichi said, "Hey, Naruto. What's with the formality?"

Naruto said, "The Hokage has called an emergency meeting of all the clan leaders. You are requested to inform them to assemble at the meeting room of the Ninja Ops by today afternoon. It is an extremely urgent situation."

Inoichi nodded, becoming serious all of a sudden. He said, "Thank you, Naruto," and dropped what he was doing, sitting into a cross-legged position, and began signing.

Naruto nodded and left. He decided to head to where he knew Sakura would be, and sure enough, he found here working her shift at the hospital. He said, "Hey, Sakura. You busy?"

She smiled at him and said, "Not much. I can spare some time. What's going on? You came back from your mission quickly."

Naruto said, "Yeah, the mission was a piece of cake. Anyway, I wanted to ask, where's Sasuke?"

Sakura shushed him quickly and whispered, "Are you stupid? Talking about him like that in the open! Lady Tsunade has not yet announced his return to the village."

Naruto said, "Sorry. Where can we talk about this?"Sakura led him to the roof of the hospital, and said, "Sasuke's been made a Chunin."

Naruto said, "Seriously?! A Chunin immediately?" Sakura said, "You didn't see the full test, Naruto. It was unreal. Some of the clan leaders voted for him to be made Jonin, but it would have been unfair to the rest of the ninjas. So Lady Tsunade made him a Chunin."

Naruto said, "How'd he do on the test?"

Sakura said, "He was amazing. According to the records, he's the fastest ninja to ever pass the test. He did the test in just under eleven hours, and it was meant to last two days."

Naruto said, "Holy crap, that's awesome! Where is he now?" Sakura replied, "He's currently staying at the Uchiha compound, in his old house."

Naruto said, "Thanks, Sakura. I'll go visit him." Sakura nodded and went back into the hospital. Naruto went over to the Uchiha compound, and went inside. As he walked over to Sasuke's house, he decided to visit Nagato first.

Naruto knocked on Nagato's door, and waited. A moment later, Konan opened the door. She smiled and said, "Hello, Naruto. Come on in." Naruto followed her into the living room, where Nagato was sitting cross-legged on the floor. The man was looking off into space, as though in deep thought. As Naruto entered the room, he looked towards him, and smiled. "Welcome, Naruto. It has been a few days since you last came here."

Naruto said, "Heya, Nagato. Yeah sorry about that, I've been busy helping in the renovation. Anyway, I was heading to a friend's house nearby, so I figured I'd pop by. How're you doing?" Nagato said, "I'm fine. And I know about Sasuke, Naruto."

Naruto frowned slightly, "How come?"

The Rinnegan user replied, "I helped the Hokage in setting up the test. I used many of my Summons in order to fight Sasuke."

Naruto said, "Shouldn't you be taking it easy, Nagato? You've still not recovered fully."

The older Uzumaki grinned, "It's alright. I've been recovering rapidly, thanks to the Hokage. It was all I could do to return the favor. And anyway, my animals are not from the physical realm, unlike most of the other Summons. That is why the Hokage picked me."

Naruto said, "Yeah, I've been wanting to ask you about that. You keep saying Paths and realms, but I never could understand all of that. Can you explain it to me some time?"

Nagato said, "I can, but it will take a long time. And I sense that you wouldn't pay full attention now, because you wish to meet your old friend."

Naruto grinned sheepishly, and scratched his head, "I guess you're right. Okay, then, I'll get going, shall I? I'll come meet you guys again soon."

Nagato said, "Bye, Naruto. Come back soon." Konan escorted the boy to the door, and hugged him bye. The blonde left, and Konan went back into the living room.

She said, "Do you think he will understand anything about the Paths if you tell him?"

Nagato looked back into space, and said, "Naruto is a more mysterious person than what meets the eye. We may never know everything about him. So I wouldn't assume anything about him."

Naruto headed to Sasuke's old house, and saw the curtains opened, on the first floor. He jumped up into the balcony, and a kunai passed right by his head.

He shouted, "Watch it, baka!"

Sasuke looked back in annoyance, and replied, "What are you doing? Couldn't you just have used the doorbell?" Naruto snorted, "Doorbells are for pus...well for people like you."

Sasuke turned red, and said, "What do you want, dobe? I'm trying to get some rest here."

Naruto sat on the bed and said, "Wow, I didn't expect the furniture to be in good shape after all this time."

Sasuke folded his hands impatiently, and Naruto looked back at him, "Tell me about your test." Sasuke said, "Why, didn't you see it?"

Naruto shook his head, "I had to leave for a mission in the middle."

"What mission?"

"It's classified, sorry. Can't tell you until Grandma Tsunade allows me."

Sasuke shrugged, "Well, my test was nothing great. I had expected it to be a little tougher, but I guess the Leaf is going soft."

Naruto said, "Or maybe the test is for average ninjas, and you're above par. I heard that some of the clan leaders were considering making you a Jonin." Sasuke looked at him in surprise.

Naruto grinned, and said, "Tsunade said no, however. She said it wouldn't be fair to the rest of the ninjas. That's why you were made Chunin only."

The raven haired boy said, "Well, that's alright. A rank won't determine my strength. It doesn't matter to me in the slightest."

Naruto replied, "Good, then we can give the Jonin Trials together whenever they're held the next time."

Sasuke nodded and said, "Now, go away, please. I want to get some good sleep. I haven't slept well for a long time now."

Naruto said, "Having wet dreams about restoring your clan?" Sasuke aimed a punch at his face, which Naruto blocked with ease, before jumping out of the balcony, laughing his ass off. He took off running, as Sasuke stood on the balcony, fuming.

As Naruto ran towards the exit of the Uchiha compound, he heard the sound of an infant crying. He frowned, and stopped. He listened for the noise again, and when it didn't repeat itself, he decided that he must have imagined it. As he began walking again, however, the crying came back into focus, and he quickly stopped, and began to gather nature energy. A few moments later, he found the location where the sound was coming from, and thought, 'How on earth did a child get here?' The blonde went to investigate. He entered the house where the sound was coming from, carefully. On full alert, he entered a room, where the crying was much louder, and found a small child lying on the floor, bawling.

The knucklehead carefully picked up the child and put it into the crib next to it. 'Poor thing must have fallen from the crib.' He decided to make some goofy faces in order to make the child forget the pain, and tried some, but the child kept on crying. Naruto said, "Damn. What do I do now?" As he thought of doing something, he heard the noise of a door opening and froze. Footsteps sounded from outside the room, coming towards him fast. There was no way to escape, so Naruto prepared for the worst.

The door opened and a woman stepped in, "I'm back, Kiyoko, stop cryi..." She stopped as she saw Naruto standing in front of her, frozen to the floor. Her expression quickly turned to one of anger, and she dropped the bag she was holding to the floor, fluidly pulling a kunai out from her dress as she did. "Who are you?! What you are you doing in my house?!"

Naruto put his hands up to show that he wasn't going to hurt her, and said, "I was passing by, and I heard the cries of this child. I thought something must be wrong, so I came here and found the crib open, and your child lying on the ground, crying. I figured that she must have fallen out of the crib, so I put her back. That's all, I swear."

The woman lowered her kunai and said, "You still didn't answer my first question. Who are you?" Naruto introduced himself.

The woman bit her lip, and thought, 'Damn, Itachi told me not to let myself come into contact with Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto looked at her and said, "You don't seem familiar. And how come you're living in this area? The Uchiha compound has been sealed off to everyone, save a couple of people."

Katsumi was in a fix now, but decided to answer the question with her own question. "How come you're in the Uchiha compound if it has been sealed off?"

Naruto said, "I have a friend who'se been allowed to stay here. I was visiting him. What about you? What's your name?"

Katsumi thought, 'It won't hurt to tell him my name.' She replied, "I'm Katsumi. This is my daughter, Kiyoko." She purposefully avoided telling him her surname.

Naruto said, "It's a pleasure to meet you." He bowed slightly, and said, "I'll take my leave, then. Sorry for being a disturbance." He walked out of the house, leaving Katsumi heaving a sigh of relief. The boy walked out of the compound, wondering who this female was, and bumped right into an ANBU dressed ninja.

He said, "Hey, watch..." and then saw the mask. "Oh, hey, Itachi. You feeling alright now?"

Itachi said, "No, not yet, but I was discharged, and Lady Tsunade told me to rest at home. I'm heading there now, you want to join me for a cup of tea?"

Naruto said, "Sure, I've got nothing better to do right about now." He walked back with Itachi, who walked right up to the door where Naruto had just walked out from. Naruto frowned and said, "That's..."

Itachi opened the door and said, "I'm home, Katsumi." He turned around to invite Naruto in, only to see the flabbergasted look on the blonde's face. "What's wrong, Naruto?"

Katsumi came out into the landing, and the color drained from her face as she saw Naruto standing outside the door, and Itachi between the two of them. She said, "Itachi, he..."

Naruto pointed his finger at her, and said, "How do you know her, Itachi?" The man said, "She's my wife, Naruto. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that to you, right?"

Katsumi said, "Itachi, he knows about you? But you told me never to come in front of him!" Itachi said, "The situation has changed. Come on in, Naruto. And why are you looking at each other like you've met before?"

Naruto said, "Coz we just did, like, two minutes ago!"

Itachi did a double take, and said, "What? You two met just now?" Naruto proceeded to tell him what had happened, and Itachi sat on the couch in the living room, laughing. He said, "Oh, my. What a mother of coincidences!" Katsumi and Naruto both stared at the complete lack of dignity that Itachi usually had. He was cracking up as though he hadn't laughed in decades. Which was probably true anyway.

A few minutes later, they were all sitting sipping tea, as Itachi told Naruto about Katsumi's story.

Naruto listened in interest, and when Itachi was done, he said, "This is all well and good, but what about Sasuke? What about when he finds out that he's an uncle?" Katsumi frowned, "What do you mean? Why would he find out? He's in the Akatsuki, right? How would he find out?"

Naruto began to speak, but Itachi said, "Allow me." He looked at Katsumi, and suddenly activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. She looked at it carefully and said, "That design...it's different from what you've had before." He nodded, and then said, "Tsukuyomi." Three seconds passed in real life, but who knew how much time passed in the GenJutsu world that Itachi had created.

Naruto said, "Did you do the same trick with her as you did with me?" Itachi nodded, saying, "It's the fastest and best way to explain something to one, without having to talk and talk."

Katsumi said, "At least give me a warning when you're about to do stuff like that, Itachi. I was so scared."

Itachi said, "As though I'd ever do anything that would hurt you." Katsumi smiled.

Naruto said, "You guys wanna get a room?" They two Uchihas blushed and Katsumi coughed. Itachi sputtered, "Umm...well...uhh, Naruto, what were you saying about Sasuke?"

Naruto remembered the topic they were on, and said, "Lady Tsunade is going to announce his return to the village soon, probably tomorrow. He's been given his old house back, in the Uchiha compound itself. It's not even far from here, about a minute's walk away. You sure you want him around nearby, without knowing about your family?"

Itachi thought about it, and said, "I guess that is right. Perhaps I should let him know, then. Thank you for the advice, Naruto." Naruto took a look at his eyes, and said, "Yeah, I can make out the change in the design as well. How'd that happen?" Itachi said proudly, "Believe it or not, this is the effect of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. I wasn't sure whether it would work, but it did."

Naruto didn't understand, so Itachi began explaining it to him. He said, "Whenever we Uchihas face extreme pain, our eyes undergo a transformation, which is known as the Mangekyo Sharingan, which gives us various powers, such as Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, Suseri, Susano-o etc. But the problem is that the more these powers are used, the weaker the eyes become. Our vision starts getting blurry, reaction times are slowed, and so on. Madara Uchiha, the last leader of the Uchihas before Konoha was founded, was able to overcome his Mangekyo's side effects by taking his brother Izuna's Mangekyo Sharingan. The Eternal Mangekyo, unlike the regular one, does not suffer from any side effects, nor do the eyes ever lose their light. It is the pinnacle of an Uchiha's eyesight. Nothing can come close to it. I am stronger than ever."

Naruto said, "So, any Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan can be taken by another to get the Eternal Mangekyo?"

Itachi shook his head, smiling, and said, "That is where most Uchihas were mistaken. In the early days, when we had no clear meaning of the Eternal Mangekyo, the Uchihas tried to steal eyes from each other in the hopes of getting it, but failed. Slowly, they came to the conclusion, that people will strong blood ties to each other are the only ones who can make this work. Like the fact that, Madara and Izuna were brothers. Like the fact that Sasuke and I are brothers. I assume that he has had his eyes transplanted already?" Naruto nodded and said, "I saw the design on his eyes as well. It's like a mix of yours with his original eyes."

Itachi said, "I didn't believe that the Eternal Mangekyo would work for me, with Shisui's eyes. However, it did. It may be because even though we were not brothers, we share Uchiha blood, and were closer to each other than any brothers as well. I was amazed when I found out that it had worked, not expecting it to. But I also have Shisui's ability now, the Kotoamatsukami, which is amazing."

Naruto said, "So, it all worked out?" Itachi nodded. He took a look in the glass of the coffee table, to get another look at his new found ocular prowess.

The eyes were the exact same as Shisui's four pin design, but instead of being fully black in the center, there was a large gap and Itachi's pinwheel design was firmly embedded in the middle. He looked back at Naruto, and his eyes turned black again.

Naruto said, "Very well. It's been interesting, but I should get back now."

Itachi said, "It's good that we've all had a proper meeting now, so that there's no need to be nervous anymore. Naruto, come and visit any time you want."

Naruto gave him a thumbs up, "Sure thing." Itachi said, "And yeah, I forgot to mention it, but Kisame lives next door. I'll make sure to tell him you know all about me now, but just in case you make it back before I do, try not to fight him."

Naruto grinned, and said, "Okay, got it. See ya." He took off, and Katsumi said, "Such a nice young fellow. Just like you." Itachi nodded and leant back on the couch, sighing. He said, "I'm going to need some rest to get back to normal. Getting these eyes helped a lot, but my chakra is at dangerously low levels. I need to watch out."

Naruto skipped out of the Uchiha compound, and decided to head back to the hospital, but was interrupted by Shikamaru.

The lazy Chunin said, "Naruto, Ino's birthday is getting closer. With all the Pein business, we couldn't plan anything, but now that the whole ordeal is behind us, we should put our heads together quickly and plan a nice cake for her. Inoichi-san already told us that he's planning to do the birthday in the newly created Chunin Exam Stadium, so we should plan something appropriate. I'm thinking we could do some sort of a cake rising from the ground or something. What do you think?"

Naruto replied, "It's an excellent idea. But we need to scope out the stadium then, and find out how the birthday is going to be planned. If it's like mine was done, that would be too similar. We need to change things up. We should speak to Inoichi-san regarding that, and then plan the cake accordingly."

Shikamaru nodded, and said, "We'll talk soon. You'll be at the hospital, right?"

"Yup, until it's completed, I'll be bunking there."

"Cool, I'll see you soon, then."

"Alright, later."

The two of them walked off, Naruto heading towards the hospital, and Shikamaru presumably towards his own shelter. Naruto reached the hospital and saw Shizune heading out of the hospital.

He said, "Hey, Shizune-san. How's the work at the hospital going?"

Shizune smiled and said, "Hi, Naruto. The work is going well, we were short-handed yesterday, since your clones weren't there, but things will go better now. How was your mission?"

Naruto replied, "It went well, no hiccups. Do you know where Kakashi sensei is?"

Shizune nodded, "He's on the top floor, helping out with the inner fittings. I guess the hospital will be finished by the day after tomorrow." Naruto thanked her and quickly reached the top floor, and met Kakashi.

The white-haired Jonin was busy supervising his clones, and didn't pay any attention to his student. Naruto cleared his throat to get Kakashi's attention. The Jonin looked back and gave him his eye smile. "Hey, Naruto, you got back early."

Naruto replied, "Yeah, the mission was really easy. So, let's get back to work, shall we? What do we need to do?"

Kakashi replied, "We need to make sure that all the machines and monitors, and stuff used by the doctors are properly placed. They are being fitted into the walls themselves, so they do not occupy too much space in the rooms. Once that is done, the hospital will be almost completed. After that, we simply need to re-attach the water towers atop the building. We've been using the main pipes till now, for the hospital, but it needs its own supply of water, just in case something goes wrong. I wasn't looking forward to so much work, but since you're here now, it'll be easy."

Naruto split off a few dozen clones, and Kakashi set them all to work.

Within a few hours, all the machines were placed properly, and Kakashi and Naruto sat on one of the beds, wiping the sweat from their faces. Naruto said, "Boy, that takes a lot out of you." Kakashi nodded.

"We'll attach the water towers tomorrow, so we'll be fresh and full of chakra. That is going to take some effort, since those towers are quite heavy. The Hokage is pulling out all the stops to renovate the village."

Naruto said, "It's a good investment. It'll sure attract some more populace into the village. The taxes will bring back all the money in a few years."

He stood up and said, "Alright, Kakashi sensei, it's getting late. I gotta go meet Ino, and then I'm going to hit the sack. I'll see you here tomorrow, then?"

Kakashi pointed up, and said, "On the roof, tomorrow at around 9." Naruto gave him a thumbs up, and took off.

He reached the Yamanaka shelter, where Ino was currently staying, and called out for her.

Ino's mother came out, and said, "Hi, Naruto! Come on in." He entered the shelter and saw Ino sitting on the floor cross-legged, with her eyes closed. She seemed to be meditating. Inoichi was sitting next to her, in a similar fashion.

Seeing Naruto's confused look, Mitsuri said, "They're training. Inoichi is teaching Ino a new Jutsu."

Naruto's face cleared up. He said, "I see. Should I come back later, then? I just wanted Ino to know that I'm back from my mission. But seeing as she's busy, I guess I shouldn't disturb her."

Mitsuri shook her head, "Oh come on, Naruto. Stop acting so formal. We're family now. Come, let's talk while they finish. We'll be having dinner in about half an hour now anyway. They'll have to get up by then."

They sat in one corner, where Mitsuri asked Naruto about his life, and Naruto told her his story. Mitsuri listened with great interest.

Around twenty minutes later, Ino opened her eyes, and panted. Inoichi opened his eyes as well, and looked at her in concern. "Are you alright, Ino?"

She replied, "I'm going low on chakra. I didn't know that this Jutsu would take so much chakra." Inoichi smiled gently, and said, "That's why it's a secret jutsu, after all."

Mitsuri got up, and said, "Good, you're done. I was just going to come and stop you guys. Let's have dinner. Naruto's here as well."

Ino looked at Naruto in surprise, and said, "You were on a mission, right?"

He replied, "It was quite easy, actually, so I was able to come back much sooner." The platinum blonde went over and hugged him.

Embarrassed by public display of affection, Naruto said, "Ino, umm..." Inoichi and Mitsuri both smiled, and Mitsuri said, "It's alright, go ahead. Do you guys want a minute? We can leave."

Ino said, "No need, we can go. Come on, Naruto, tell me about your mission." The two of them left the tent.

Mitsuri's voice sounded from the shelter, "Don't be long, we're going to wait for you guys for dinner. Naruto, you're going to join us as well, you hear?"

Naruto replied, "Sure thing, Mitsuri-san!" He held Ino and teleported to the top of the Fourth's head again. "I've missed you, Ino." She said, "Really? You were gone for a day."

Naruto said, "A day without you is like a year." Ino kissed him, pulling him closer to her as she did. "How's that? You feel better now?" Naruto grinned.

"A little. Maybe a few more kisses will make me feel normal again."

Ino smirked and pulled his ear. "I can do that." She leant in again, kissing him, biting his lower lip slightly. He replied in kind, and leant back, pulling her on top of him.

A few minutes later, Ino said, "Come on, Mom and Dad must be waiting for us. And I'm hungry." Naruto said, "You're right. Let's go."

They went back to the shelter, and the four of them had dinner, having a pleasant time throughout it.

After dinner, Naruto sat back and said, "Wow, that was wonderful, Mitsuri-san! You're an amazing cook!"

Mitsuri smiled, and Inoichi said, "It's what held me together for so many years, Naruto. I didn't just fall in love with her looks, after all."

Mitsuri turned red, and smacked him playfully, "Quit talking like that in front of Ino and Naruto!" Inoichi said, "They're both old enough to understand. Right, Naruto?"

Naruto grinned and said, "Of course, Inoichi-san. Anyway, it's getting late now, and I have to go back to the hospital now, so I guess I should call it a night."

He wished all of them a good night, and exited their shelter. Ino came out after him, and gave him a good night kiss. He said, "You've got to stop doing this, Ino, or I swear one day, I won't let go of you."

Ino smirked and said, "That's what I'm aiming for, after all. Good night, Ruto-kun." She pecked him again, and went back into the shelter.

Naruto began walking back to the hospital, walking off the dinner. After getting to his temporary room in the hospital, he went to bed. He lay in bed, thinking for a while, about what the Akatsuki could be doing right now, if they were really behind the assassination of the Raikage.

'I guess Grandma Tsunade will be sending out ANBU to find out. Anyway, I should get some sleep now, tomorrow is going to be a fine workout, getting the water towers on to the building.' He fell asleep.


	46. Chapter 46: Ino's Birthday

**Chapter 46: Ino's Birthday; An Unexpected Surprise**

A few days passed by, the village returning to its original state slowly but surely. Tsunade was hard at work getting everything renovated, and the new layout of the village was far more impressive than before. Gaara and his siblings had visited again, and were awestruck by the new buildings and infrastructure that the Hokage had been able to come up with.

Naruto and the rest of the Konoha 11 were busy working almost eighteen hours a day, helping speed through all the constructions. Thanks to them, most of the villagers had already settled into their new houses, and the basic civic amenities had all been rebuilt and provided to them. Tsunade had gathered the ninjas one day in the renovated Chunin Exam Stadium, and announced Sasuke's return. In order to ensure that everyone didn't hate him for turning rogue, she had reluctantly come up with a lie, telling them all that Sasuke had gone off on a secret mission, to assassinate Orochimaru.

Once the rest of the ninjas heard of this, most of them readily gulped it down, and cheered for Sasuke when he came forward. The boy simply bowed his head in thanks, and returned to his seat, not displaying any of the cool attitude that he used to when he was a Genin. He had been a great help to the village as well, in helping out the constructions, and worked alongside the old Konoha 11, just as they would four years ago.

Some of them, such as Kiba, Shino, Neji and Shikamaru, had not entirely accepted the explanation given by the Hokage, and remained suspicious, but nonetheless accepted him back with open arms, as only the Leaf village ninjas would ever do. Ever since he had returned, Sasuke had been more open to the rest of them, and spoke to them, smiled when he met them, and spent more time with them as well. Everyone was surprised at the change in Sasuke, but Naruto was confident that it was because he had finished the task that he had spent his life in pursuit of.

Meanwhile, Ino's birthday was fast approaching. Although she had some idea that her father was arranging for something, she for once wanted to be surprised, rather than finding out what it was. Naruto had told her, "It's going to be the best birthday you'll ever have." That's what she was counting on. Naruto was working furiously alongside Inoichi, to ensure that everything was perfect for Ino's birthday.

A day before the special occasion, Tsunade called Naruto in. He entered her office, and she said, "Sit down, Naruto." He did, and she turned around to face him, quite sombre.

"What's with the serious look, Grandma Tsunade?"

She was too serious to even get upset at the jab, and said, "I just got a report of some bandit activity around the borders between the Lands of Wind and Fire. Apparently, these guys are grave robbers, and are pilfering the graves of legendary shinobi. They are most likely searching for hidden and forbidden Jutsus. I got reports from Gaara as well, who is furious, and wants to teach them a lesson. But things are not as easy as I thought they would be. These guys are something different. I had sent a team of Chunin to investigate the areas where they had last been spotted, and only one of them returned, holding his right hand in his left. He reported that the other two had been brutally murdered, and that they were no match for the robbers. This led me to believe that they are quite skilled, and not any ordinary ninjas as well, but maybe even Jonin-level rogue-nins."

Naruto understood the situation, and said, "You want me to go in and flush them out of there?"

Tsunade said, "I want you to eliminate them, no mercy. I don't care what they are up to, but defiling a grave is one of the largest crimes in the Great Nations, and these people will have to be made an example of. In order to keep things easier, I am sending another Chunin with you, and I believe that the two of you will be able to end this threat easily."

Naruto asked, "Who do you have in mind?"

The Hokage replied, "Sasuke."

Naruto grinned, and said, "That's cool. We'll get rid of these guys, no problem. So, when do I leave?"

Tsunade hesitated, and he frowned in confusion. Then his eyes shot up in astonishment and he said, "Not...not tomorrow?!"

Tsunade bowed her head slightly, and said, "I'm so sorry, Naruto."

The golden haired boy was speechless. All of his planning, all the efforts he had taken, all in vain. He pleaded, "Can't it be done the day after tomorrow? Please, Grandma Tsunade, surely you realize how important this is to me?"

Tsunade said, "I wish I could, Naruto, but I really cannot. And duty to the village is far more important than a birthday, in case you've forgotten."

Naruto hung his head down in sadness. Then it shot up again, startling Tsunade. He said quickly, "What if I did it today itself?"

Tsunade said, "But Sasuke isn't in today. He's gone to the capital city." The knucklehead said, "I can take someone else with me. What about Sakura?"

Tsunade hesitated again, before replying, "Actually...the two of them have gone together."

Naruto's right eyebrow raised high, and he stared at Tsunade for a couple of seconds, before cracking up. "Oh man, I'm totally gonna embarrass those guys!"

Tsunade yelled, "Naruto! This is not the time for jokes. If you're gonna leave now, then you need to get going. Do you have anyone else in mind who you can work with?"

Naruto thought about it, and said, "What about Iruka-sensei?"

Tsunade looked through the shinobi list, and said, "Hmm. That might work. Iruka is free today. Alright, if you can find him, bring him back here and then I'll assign you two to it officially." Naruto nodded, and took off immediately, heading to Iruka's house. However, Iruka was not there, so Naruto decided to look around at the Academy as well as some other places that his old teacher might be in. He thought, 'I better not waste my time with this. I want to be back before tomorrow.'

He quickly split off five clones and said, "Find Iruka-sensei, no matter what." The clones quickly shunshined off, and Naruto headed over to the Academy. He didn't find Iruka there either, but a few minutes later, as he was headed to Ichiraku's, one of his clones dispelled, relaying back it's information to him. He headed over to a training field, where Iruka was hard at work practising his TaiJutsu.

Naruto quickly ran over and said, "Hey, Iruka-sensei, you got a minute?" Iruka smiled at him, "Hey Naruto! It's been a while. Sure, did you need something?"

Naruto explained the situation, and Iruka said, "Why not? It's the least I can do for you. Come on, let's go." He prepared to run towards the Ninja Ops, but Naruto caught hold of his shoulder and teleported to the building instead.

Iruka was thoroughly bewildered, and said, "What the..."

Naruto quickly said, "I'll tell you on the way. Let's just get the mission assigned quickly."

Iruka realized the urgency in his voice and simply nodded. The two of them entered the office, and Tsunade looked up from the desk, and said, "Good work, Naruto. I didn't expect you to find him so quickly. Come on, sign the ledger quickly."

Ever since the village was being renovated, Tsunade had moved to a ledger system, which would allow her to know which of her shinobis was on which mission, much more easily than before, when they would be assigned new scrolls every time. This had freed up a lot of her time. Iruka and Naruto quickly moved forward and signed their names under the mission they were undertaking. Iruka noted the A-Rank difficulty with only a slight amount of surprise.

Tsunade quickly briefed the two of them about where they should be able to find the robbers. Iruka said, "I know the place. I was there once on a mission. I recall some people stating that the small town was once occupied by a great clan. They all were murdered when the Five Tails attacked the village."

Tsunade said, "Indeed. It was the Fukuma clan, who were experts in Lightning Style NinJutsu. It is widely believed that my grandfather approached them while founding the Leaf village, but they didn't want to migrate, so they gently refused the offer, but told him that they would be glad to help out in any other way." Iruka nodded in approval. Naruto said, "So, these grave robbers must be after the bodies of these clan ninjas, right?"

Tsunade said, "Yes, they most probably are. I want you two to eliminate them completely. Make sure that not a single one of them remains. Leave a couple alive, and follow them to see if they lead you to a larger group. And Iruka, I am making you the leader of this mission. It is extremely delicate, because these robbers have pilfered graves in the Land of Wind as well. I want this dealt with as quickly as possible. Is that understood?"

Iruka bowed, "Yes, Milady." He requested permission to leave, and Tsunade inclined her head. Naruto said, "Come on, Iruka-sensei." He took his teacher's hand once more, and the two of them teleported to the village gates. Iruka took a moment to gain his traction, and said, "How on earth..."

Naruto said, "Just a moment, Iruka-sensei." He told the guards where they were headed, and the two of them set off, running as quickly as they could. Iruka was amazed at the speed at which Naruto was running.

He said, "Naruto, have you learned some sort of space-time manipulation Jutsu?"

Naruto grinned and said, "Count on you to catch on to that, Iruka-sensei. Yeah, I have. It's the Hiraishin Jutsu."

Iruka's eyes widened, and he nearly ran into a tree.

Naruto began explaining everything to him, thinking, 'If I had the Mangekyo Sharingan, this explanation thing would have been so easy. Lucky Itachi!'

Once his story was finished, Iruka's mouth was hanging open. He tried to speak for a couple of times, but no sound came out of his mouth. Finally, all he said was, "Wow!"

Naruto smiled and said, "Oh come on, Iruka-sensei, it's nothing great." The two of them continued on their journey in silence for a while, until Naruto remembered, and said, "Hey Iruka-sensei, remember that time when i asked you about that snake woman, Anko? How she was on your team and all? And you told me that it was a long story? Well, how about telling me now?"

Iruka's face turned red, and he said, "Well, umm...umm, okay. I guess I could tell you about my team." He began talking and Naruto listened with interest.

Iruka said, "It all started when i became Genin. Back in the day, it was a little tougher to be Genin than it is now. I made it, though. I was so happy, as were my parents. But a few days later, the village was attacked by the Nine-Tails."

Naruto's eyes widened. Iruka said, "Sadly, my parents were killed in the fight that ensued. I was just a little kid, and I had been sent along with the rest of the Genin, and the civilians, to hide in the Hokage Monument. After I was told about my parents' deaths, I was not able to cope with it for a while."

"However, as I got over it, I was assigned to a Genin team by the Third Hokage. My team consisted of myself, Yugao Uzuki, and Genma Shiranui. We were assigned one of the best Jonins in the village, none other than Neji's father, Hizashi Hyuga."

Naruto was confused. He said, "But what about Anko?"

Iruka said, "I'm getting there. Anyway, Hizashi-sensei trained us very well. Although he couldn't teach us any of his own techniques, since we didn't possess the Byakugan, he taught us his weapon skills, and various different Genjutsus and NinJutsus. All that I taught you about the staff-blade came from Hizashi-sensei. Back then, we had just signed a treaty of peace with the Hidden Cloud village. However, it turned out to be nothing but a farce, since the Head Ninja of the Cloud tried to abduct Hinata Hyuga that night itself, to gain the secrets of the Byakugan. He was noticed by her father, however, and Hiashi Hyuga, who was Hizashi-sensei's twin brother, killed the Cloud ninja."

Naruto said, "What does this have to do..."

Iruka said, "It is important to tell you everything in sequence, or parts of it won't make sense to you later on. So, this incident put the village in turmoil. The Cloud village denied all accusations, and demanded that the person responsible for their Head's death be guillotined in front of them. Of course, Hiashi Hyuga, being the clan leader, and a Main member of the family, could never give himself up. So it was decided that his brother, Hizashi-sensei, who was a Branch member of the family, would sacrifice himself for the clan instead. He was put to death in front of the Cloud village, and Hiashi Hyuga was able to save himself."

Naruto said, "That is so unfair. No wonder Neji always hated the Main family members of the Hyuga clan."

Iruka nodded. He continued, "After Hizashi-sensei's death, our team no longer had a leader. Also, at that time, there was another team which consisted of Raido, Iwashi and Akoto. But Akoto died in a mission that had gone wrong badly. So the Third Hokage made some changes to the squads. He knew that Raido and Genma were close, so he shifted Genma to their squad, because we had already lost our leader anyway. Once that squad was reformed, he began looking for suitable replacements for our squad."

Naruto nodded, seeing how this was going. Iruka said, "About the same time as the Hyuga affair, Orochimaru had fled the village, along with his students. One of them was Anko. He had lied to them, telling them that they were on a mission, when in fact, he had turned them into rogue-nins. He experimented on them with his Curse Marks, and when Anko failed to harness the powers it gave her, he betrayed her and left her to die. She returned to the village, but had no memory of what he had managed to do to her. She was mentally traumatized, and the Hokage decided to pair her with us, partly because I was quite shy and gentle at the time, partly because Yugao would be a good influence on her, and partly because our own team had been broken up so recently. So the three of us became a team. Now, all we needed was a leader."

"However, in the tough times, the Sandaime was unable to find us a good leader, so he decided to take us under his wing itself. We trained under Sarutobi-sensei for a year, before we took the Chunin exams. We passed and became Chunin. After that the three of us would go on missions together, but then Yugao decided to enter the ANBU. In all this time, Anko had become close to the two of us. She was very upset about Yugao's decision. But Yugao was determined to become an ANBU shinobi, and Anko turned to me for support. At that time, even I was considering becoming a teacher, and Anko felt betrayed when i didn't support her. It was probably the biggest choice in my life. But I took it, and the team broke up."

Naruto said, "That's rough, sensei." Iruka said, "Yeah, it was. I never got a chance to speak to the two of them until some time ago. We were all told to go on a mission together. Anko flat out refused to work with us, but the Fifth Hokage can be quite menacing, so she reluctantly agreed. However, she didn't talk to us for the majority of the mission. Yugao begged forgiveness from her, and finally after a long time of persuasion, Anko forgave us." Then Iruka went red, and Naruto remembered what Ino had told him.

He grinned slyly and said, "Was it around that time that you and Anko hooked up?"

Iruka's mouth fell open and he said, "How do you know about that?!"

Naruto told him that Ino had noticed them, and how she had guessed that something was going on between them.

Iruka looked embarrassed, but said, "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag, then. Yeah, Anko and me, we've been together since then. Yugao is a regular ninja Jonin now, and Anko is a Tokujo. I made Jonin just some time before you returned, of course. I'm still teaching at the Academy now, although I take missions as well. So, that's about it. That's my team, and my life."

Naruto said, "That's quite an interesting story. I'm glad it all worked out in the end for the three of you. I should talk to Anko some time. I want to know her childhood as well."

Iruka blanched and said, "Please don't. Anko is very ashamed of her childhood and has tried her hardest to forget about it. Any topic even closely related to it makes her feel extremely upset. And I know you've seen how mad she can get."

Naruto said, "Yeah, I have. Alrighty, then, I won't ask her about it." Iruka heaved a sigh of relief. They continued running, and reached their destination in a couple of hours.

They entered the town and Naruto said, "It's deserted."

Iruka said, "Yes. I think that whoever is doing this grave robbing business is definitely part of a big gang. We need to watch out, there may be traps ahead." Naruto nodded and the two of them continued. They reached a memorial in the center of the town, where, according to Iruka, most of the shinobi graves were. Sure enough, there were some graves which were dug up. Iruka went red in anger, as did Naruto. But before they could investigate, a barrage of kunais blasted its way towards them. The two of them barely managed to get out of it alive, and looked around for their assailants, not having noticed anyone around. They still couldn't see anyone, so Naruto said, "Iruka-sensei, cover me. I'm going into Sage mode."

Iruka quickly got in front of Naruto, who sat down on the floor and put his hands together, meditating. Iruka kept on blocking and dodging the kunais thrown at the two of them, trying his best to protect Naruto as he could. A minute later, Naruto opened his eyes, and said, "There's five of them, using some sort of invisibility jutsu. They're out of our direct range, but I can get them. Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Ten clones emerged from the cloud of smoke that had just gone up, and charged at the locations which Naruto had memorized. A moment later, five shouts of "ODAMA RASENGAN!" occurred, and five screams occurred. A moment later, the five ninjas who had been bombing them with kunais came into sight. They were all holding their stomachs, four of which were bleeding. One of them got up, coughing, and said, "You're good, I'll give you that."

Naruto said, "How dare you defile the graves of our lands! Who the hell do you think you are?!" The ninja straightened up, and put his hands to his stomach. He began healing himself, surprising Iruka and Naruto. A moment later, he said, "Ah, much better. Now, let's even the playground a little, shall we?" He put his hands together and said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A hundred clones split off and Iruka and Naruto stared at them in amazement. Iruka looked a bit nervous now, but Naruto said, "Two can play at this game. Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A hundred clones of Naruto burst out in front of him, and charged immediately at the rogue ninja. However, as they reached the rogue-nin's clones, they passed right through them. Naruto stared at them in confusion. Iruka's expression cleared, and he put his hands together, intoning, "Release!"

Once Naruto understood what he had done, he also did the same, and the clones of the rogue ninja vanished from his vision. Iruka said, "I was kind of suspicious when I saw him perform the Shadow Clone Jutsu, since it's a forbidden Jutsu. But what Naruto did just now confirmed it. You're a GenJutsu type user, I guess." The ninja looked a little taken aback now, but decided not to show it.

He removed his mask, allowing them to see his face. It was a squarish face, with a caramel complexion, and grey eyes looking at them cunningly. A few wrinkled lined his face, showing age, and probably wisdom as well. Naruto hadn't expected the man to be so elderly, and thought, 'This guy seems to be doing this for a reason.' The same thought had also entered Iruka's mind.

The man quickly cast another GenJutsu on them, and went and healed his team-mates while the Leaf ninjas dealt with it. As Naruto and Iruka dispelled the GenJutsu, they saw all the five ninjas standing in front of them, all signing quickly. Iruka shouted, "Watch out, Naruto!" The five ninjas all shouted together, "Hidden Lightning Style: Thousand Lances!"

A huged black cloud appeared on top of the two Leaf shinobi, and lightning strikes began to emerge from within. Iruka danced around, trying his best to avoid them, but Naruto calmly stood his ground, and took out his staff-blade. As the lightning strikes came closer to him, he held out the blade, and began to block the lightning lances with it. As they hit the staff-blade, they automatically disappeared.

A minute later, the Jutsu was over, and the only visible damage was the scar which Iruka had received on his shoulder. The rogue-nins were visibly surprised now, and the leader said, "How did you block that attack with that tiny toy? This is a secret A-Ranked Jutsu!" Naruto grinned, "I don't need to explain myself to you. Especially when you're about to die."

The leader frowned, and said, "You may have stopped one of our Jutsus, but don't get cocky, brat. I've been fighting a long time before you were ever born." Naruto said, "Oh, that's good. I look forward to a good fight. But you know what, let's do it the proper way. Let's have a tournament here. Your people versus me and Iruka-sensei, one-on-one. The winner fights the next round, the loser dies."

Iruka looked at Naruto in surprise, and a little shock. Naruto didn't look at him, staring ahead at the rogue-nins with a determined look. The leader laughed and said, "I accept your challenge."

Naruto stepped forward, and said, "I'll take care of this, Iruka-sensei. Wait back. If anything happens to me, it's all up to you, then."

Iruka said, "Naruto, you..." Naruto grinned, "Don't worry, Iruka-sensei. I've gotten a lot stronger now. I can take care of myself."

He said, "Who's going to come from your side?"

The leader said, "Koro, take care of this." A well built ninja stepped forward, and said, "Prepare to die."

Naruto laughed, "Better people than you have tried to kill me."

Koro removed his mask, and Naruto stared at the amount of cuts on his face. He said, "Man, that's ugly. You should wear that mask again, before I puke."

Koro charged at him in rage, and Naruto waited until the last moment, before he ducked, and aimed a fully charged punch at the ninja's stomach. For a split second, nothing happened, and then Koro went flying into his team-mates. He got up again, slowly, and re-assessed the situation. Naruto was waiting with his hands behind his back now, looking like an old man, ready for anything.

Koro charged again, but this time, more cautiously. He began a flurry of punches, and Naruto blocked them all, easily. Koro tried to keep up the flow, but Naruto kept getting faster and faster, until he managed to throw another punch, this time to the rogue ninja's head. Stars burst in front of Koro's eyes, and he fell to the ground, dazed. Naruto's eyes had gone dark now, and he said, "You lose." Before Koro could get up, Naruto took his staff-blade in his hand, and sent a giant slice of wind chakra into it. It manifested the wind broadsword, and Naruto swung it down, no hesitation, directly into Koro's stomach.

A spurt of blood flew up into Naruto's face. He didn't even wipe it off, as he pointed the broadsword at the rest of the four ninjas, and said, "Next." The remaining four ninjas were scared to their bones. The leader tried not to show it, but he was trembling at the way Naruto had taken care of his fellow team-mate. He said, "Yugi, go on."

Another of the ninjas looked at him, and shrieked, "Are you frikking kidding me?! Didn't you see what he did to Koro?!" The leader said, "Go now. And use **it**."

The female looked back at him, and said, "Are you serious?"

He nodded, and the female said, "Very well." She walked forward, and stood in front of the blonde teenager. He let go of the broadsword, turning it back into the staff-blade. Yugi took off her mask, showing a beautiful face, and said, "Get ready." Naruto gave her a cold look, and tore a piece of his coat, using it to slowly wipe his face. The eerie effect it created gave even Iruka a feeling of dread.

Yugi suddenly started signing furiously, so fast that even Naruto's eyes couldn't keep up to the pace.

As she was done, she roared, "Secret Lightning Style: Lightning Harmony!" A beam of lightning shot out from her hands, so fast and so big, that Naruto couldn't dodge it in time. He managed to go to the left a little, but his right shoulder took a bulk of damage from the attack, and completely melted away, leaving a large hole there. He fell to the ground in a heap, and Yugi smiled, "You lose."

Naruto stood up, suddenly, wiping the grin off of Yugi's face, and whispered, "I don't know what you did there, but it's gonna take a lot more than that to defeat me." He knew that even the Kyuubi couldn't help him regenerate so quickly, so he sent a lot of his chakra to the hole to help the process. As Yugi stared at the slowly receding hole, she thought, 'What is he?'

Naruto didn't even wait for the hole to fill completely, and aimed a punch at Yugi, so fast that she couldn't dodge. She managed to get her hands in front of her chest to block his blow to her midsection, but ended up fracturing both her forearms. As Yugi howled in pain, Naruto pressed the attack, completely breaking her arms. He aimed a chop at her neck, and it connected, causing her to fall to the ground, completely paralyzed. He whispered, "You should never have joined up with them. I'm sorry to do this, but I'm following orders, that's all." He quickly took up her face in his hands, and looking away, snapped her neck.

Iruka stared in shock at his former student, who let go of Yugi, and said, "Next." The leader of the rogue-nins was also staring in shock at Naruto, and shouted, "Retreat!" The two other ninjas threw smoke bombs, and they vanished from the spot.

Naruto shouted, "Oh, no you don't!" He quickly sat down again, and focused. A minute later, he said, "Come on, Iruka-sensei, they're making a run for it!" Iruka was still shell-shocked by the ruthlessness that Naruto had displayed, but decided to follow him for the moment.

The two of them began chasing after the remaining ninjas, and were surprised by the speed they displayed.

Naruto thought, 'These guys are actually good. I gotta step it up a notch.' He glanced back at Iruka and thought, 'Sensei can catch up later. I'll stop these guys first.' He quickly put on a burst of speed, and caught up to the three remaining rogue-nins.

The three of them stopped as they saw the boy standing in front of them, and a look of worry crossed their leader's face. Just then, Iruka caught up to them. He said, "Good job, Naruto. You've really gotten fast indeed." Naruto grinned, and said, "Shall we continue, then? Who's coming next?"

The leader of the rogue-nins looked at him in amazement, and said, "Why are you so eager to fight us?" Naruto replied lazily, "I'm not. I'm just here to finish a job. Since you guys seem to be good at fighting, I thought, why not make it a challenge? But if you guys aren't interested, I can finish you off right now. I'm in a bit of a hurry, as it is."

The leader was shocked, and looked at his team-mates, who were looking unnerved. He said, "Come on, then. Let's finish this." He nodded to his team-mates, and they realized what he was up to. They nodded back, and the three of them took a few steps back, and began signing quickly. Naruto waited, wanting to see what they were doing. Iruka took a look at Naruto, and seeing the confidence in his eyes, stayed his ground as well.

The three of them continued signing for at least half a minute, slowing down their hand signs when they saw that the Leaf shinobi weren't attacking them. The leader finished signing, and a moment later, his team-mates finished as well. The three of them shouted in synchronization, "Forbidden Jutsu: Lightning Block!" The sky turned dark, and black clouds gathered around them. Naruto and Iruka looked up, and saw giant lances of lightning gathering together, forming a huge block in the sky. The block of lightning turned purple in color, and began to crackle loudly. A moment later, the it began to fall onto the two of them, and Naruto grinned. He said, "Come on, Iruka-sensei." He held on to his mentor's shoulder, and teleported just as the block of lightning hit the ground. With a giant explosion, the ground split in two as the full impact of the lightning jutsu hit it. The resulting shockwave coursed through the ground, and the three rogue-nins jumped just in time to avoid it.

Naruto and Iruka were standing where they had first encountered the rogues. Iruka said, "How'd we get here?" Naruto replied, "I had placed a seal here when we first began fighting. It's handy in times like this. Come on, let's go." They went back to where the rogues were, but found no trace of them. Naruto growled, "Damnit, I should have kept a seal here as well." He quickly sat down and entered Sage Mode again. As he entered Sage Mode, he saw the disturbances that the rogue ninjas had caused, and was able to find them, running as quickly as they could. He pointed the direction to Iruka, and the two of them gave chase yet again.

Naruto, being in Sage Mode, was able to keep an eye on the traps which the rogue-nins had laid out. Thanks to him, Iruka was able to run easily, without having to look out for them. They caught up to the rogues for the second time, and Naruto was peeved now. He said, "I'm tired of this running game. It's time to end this. Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A hundred clones of Naruto burst out next to him, and all of them jumped into the air.

Naruto yelled, "Sage Arts: Massive Spiralling Rasengan Barrage!" Fifty giant Rasengans were formed in midair by the clones, and they hurtled down towards the three ninjas, who could do nothing but gaze at their doom in fear. A second later, the entire ground opened up, as the Rasengan Barrage hit the ninjas directly. As the cloud of smoke and dust cleared, Naruto looked around for the ninjas, wondering whether his attack had hit them. Turns out, it had, and they were all lying in a heap, or at least parts of them were.

Naruto went out of Sage Mode as the nature energy ran out, and said, "Come on, Iruka-sensei, mission successful." Iruka said, "Naruto, what if there are more of them? You heard what Lady Tsunade said! We were supposed to interrogate them and find out if there are more of these guys around!"

Naruto laughed, "Oh, lighten up, Iruka-sensei. I'm sure these guys were it. Looking at the way they fought, and their jutsus, it was obvious. Didn't you notice that they only used Lightning based Jutsus? And don't worry, if there are more of them, then we can always come back. Come on, it's getting late, and I want to be home before sunset. I don't have enough chakra right now to teleport back to the village. Let's go." Iruka nodded and the two of them began to run back home quickly. As they headed back, Naruto suddenly sensed the presence of two other ninjas running in the same direction as them. Sensing the familiar chakra, he said, "Iruka-sensei, Sasuke and Sakura are up ahead. Let's catch up to them."

Iruka nodded, and they caught up to the other two members of Team 7. Sasuke looked behind, and saw Naruto and Iruka heading towards him. He enabled his Sharingan to make sure that they were indeed the real Naruto and Iruka. Once he confirmed it, he stopped and waited for them. Sakura looked around to see him standing there, and said, "What's the matter, Sasuke-kun?" He said shortly, "Naruto and Iruka-sensei are heading over here."

The blonde and his teacher caught up to the two of them, and Naruto said, "What were you doing in the capital city, Sasuke?" The boy replied, "I was sent for recon by Lady Tsunade. Apparently, there was an attack on the Daimyo, and the ANBU didn't reach him in time. The guards were somehow able to hold the ninjas off until the ANBU reached, but they suffered a whole lot of casualties. Lady Tsunade was furious and sent me to check what the problem was. Turns out that the ANBU have gotten lazy, and the attackers took advantage of that."

Naruto pondered over that for a while as they began heading back to the village again. Then he said, "So, these ANBU guys who are getting lazy. They are gonna be sacked, right?" Sasuke said, "I guess so. Lady Tsunade didn't seem too happy to hear about their incompetence from the Daimyo himself." Iruka asked, "Any word on the attackers? Who they work for, which village they're from?"

Sakura intervened, "Nothing. They were all suicide bombers, they had lots of paper bombs attached to their bodies. Whem they were cornered, they blew themselves up. There was no evidence to suggest that they were from a different village or anything of the sort." Naruto turned towards her and said, "That reminds me, how come you went with Sasuke? Did Grandma Tsunade send you?" He smirked inwardly, knowing what would come next. Sakura blushed deeply, and said, "No, she didn't... I was...umm...I wanted to go to the capital, so I tagged along with Sasuke, that's all. Yeah, that's it."

Naruto said, "Yeah, I'm so sure. Anyway, just don't forget about poor old me, now that your sweetheart is here." Both Sasuke and Sakura turned red as beetroots. Sasuke said, "Shut your mouth, dobe."

"Ooh, touched a nerve, did I?"

"Shut up."

They reached the Leaf at night, courtesy of Iruka and Sakura having to step in and stop Naruto and Sasuke from fighting all the time. They reached the Ninja Ops, and Iruka gave his report first. After he was done, Tsunade said, "Alright. I'm not sure whether this is over yet, but we'll see how it goes. If we get more reports, this mission will turn to a failure. You may go, Iruka and Naruto." They walked out, and Naruto winked at Sasuke. The raven haired boy turned his head away in annoyance. Sakura began giving their report to the Hokage as well. Naruto headed out and decided to drop in at the newly reconstructed Yamanaka compound. He knocked on the main gate, and one of the Yamanaka guards opened it. "Yes?"

Naruto said, "I'm here to see Ino."

The guard nodded, and said, "Come on in." He followed the guard to the main house in the compound. The guard said, "Here you go." Naruto knocked on the door. A couple of moments later, Mitsuri opened the door. The Yamanaka guard bowed to her, and said, "Naruto Uzumaki is here to see miss Ino." Mitsuri nodded, and smiled. The guard went back to his post, and Naruto went into the house.

Mitsuri led him into the living room, and said, "Make yourself comfortable, Naruto. I'll go get Ino." Naruto sat down promptly, and said, "The furnishing is looking great, Mitsuri-san." She said, "It is, isn't it? Inoichi pulled quite a few strings to get this kind of furniture. He got all of it from the Land of Snow."

Naruto marveled at the sight, and Mitsuri went to get Ino. She returned a moment later, scratching her head. "That's weird. She's not in her room, Naruto. I guess she snuck out for something. Sorry, Naruto." Naruto shrugged, "It's alright, Mitsuri-san. I'll see her soon, anyway." He winked, and Mitsuri laughed, "I'm sure she will love the surprise, Naruto."

He walked out of the compound, and thought, 'Now, where would Ino sneak off to? Hmm, she didn't know of the mission I went on, so she may have been trying to find me. Oh, well, I guess I just gotta meet her tomorrow. For now, I need to go and ask Grandma Tsunade about my compound construction. I hope she's not busy, she's quite tough to handle when she's working hard."

He headed off to the Ninja Ops again, and found Tsunade standing on the roof, looking down at the village. He jumped up, and said, "Heya, Grandma. It's not like you to be standing quietly when the village still in this state."

Tsunade smiled quietly, and said, "I'm just taking a bit of a break, Naruto. Everyone needs some time off sometimes."

Naruto stood next to her, and said, "It's looking quite amazing, isn't it? I like how you increased the height of the Ninja Ops. The view is much better."

Tsunade grinned, "It wasn't easy, though. Managing the construction space available for all the buildings, depending on all the renovations, is a lot tougher than it looks. You might want to pay attention, it'll help in the future."

Naruto said, "What about my mother's house? When will it be renovated?" Tsunade looked at the empty lot where Naruto's mother's house had been, and said, "I'm making the provisions available as soon as I can. What about that secret room that Kushina had built? Do you still want to keep it? It's been banged up quite a bit."

Naruto looked at her as though she was mad, and said, "Of course I want to keep it, is that even a question? We can get it fixed. Like I would ever throw away one of my mother's last belongings!"

The Hokage said, "Alright, alright, calm down! We'll get it fixed. And I'm thinking of getting the Konoha 11 to help you out with the renovation. What do you say?" Naruto said, "That's fine with me. I'm not really that much in a hurry to do the renovation, of course, the rest of the village is more important."

Tsunade said, "That's nice to hear. And you're bunking at the new barracks right now, aren't you? Is it comfortable there?"

Naruto nodded, "It's fine. And I grew up in barracks, so I'm quite used to it anyway. It's good that you made the rooms bigger. I'll be fine for now. Let's just get this village back to normal, so that we can quickly get back to our feet." The two of them continued to look at the sight of the village, as the sun set. Tsunade said, "It isn't easy being Hokage, Naruto. I know that you wanted to be Hokage so that the rest of the village would respect you, but you've earned their respect already now. Are you still set on that dream now?"

Naruto turned around and smiled at her, saying, "Grandma Tsunade, I still want to be Hokage. I know that the villagers have now started to respect me, but there's still more I can do by being Hokage. For instance, seeing the strong bonds develop between the Leaf and the Sand, I wondered whether we could strengthen the bonds between the rest of the villages also. Being Hokage would allow me to do precisely that."

The current Hokage said, "I see. That is a wonderful ambition. Well, you're certainly on my shortlist for Hokage, Naruto. However, you are still young. There's still things for you to learn, and understand. Politics is a strong aspect of heading a village. You need someone to help you out, just like I have Shizune."

Naruto said, "No problem. Shikamaru is more than capable of helping me out in whatever I need."

Tsunade carefully controlled the smile forming on her face, and said, "You've given this a fair amount of thought, have you?"

The boy put his hands behind his head, and replied, "Well, there are some times when I can't sleep at night, so I just lay awake thinking about the future, and how I might be able to help the village and the country. I've been thinking about all of this ever since I finished my training with Pervy Sage. He really opened my eyes to the difficulties of the world."

Tsunade thought, 'Well, I certainly made a good choice, letting Jiraiya train him. He's got a good idea of what the world is like now, so he can shape it up better in the future.' She said, "Well, much as I like standing up here and chatting like this, I have to get back to work now, seeing as I'm not going to have much time tomorrow." She winked at Naruto and began walking down from the roof. Naruto stayed up there, a solitary figure atop the Ninja Ops, staring down into the village as the sun began setting.

As the night lights began shining, Naruto began walking towards the barracks, and thought, 'Tomorrow is going to be a big day. I hope everything goes according to the plan.' He reached the barracks and fished out the keys from his pocket.

He opened the door, and took his sandals off, before sitting on the couch and stretching out. Just then, a knock on the door caught his attention, and he looked over to see Ino standing outside. He smiled, "Hi, Ino. I came to the compound earlier, but you weren't there."

Ino nodded as she came in, and said, "I was out on a small errand of my own. I want to look special tomorrow, for my birthday."

Naruto said, "As if you don't look special as it is."

Ino came over and sat next to him, before cuddling up to him. She said, "So, is there anything special for me tomorrow?"

Naruto said, "I thought you didn't want to know the surprise."

The platinum blonde said, "Yeah, but I gotta admit, I'm kinda curious."

Naruto laughed and said, "You'll see tomorrow. Your birthday is going to be one of a kind." The two of them sat in silence for a while, just happy to be in each other's arms.

Naruto said, "Do your Mom and Dad know that you're here?" Ino said, "Yeah, I went home before coming here."

"That's a relief. Mitsuri-san was looking worried when she saw that you had disappeared."

Ino said, "Mothers worry a lot, don't they?" Naruto looked at her sadly and said, "I wouldn't know, would I?"

A tear dropped out of his eye, and Ino immediately hated herself for saying what she had. "I'm so sorry, Naruto. I shouldn't have..."

Naruto wiped the tear off, and smiled, "It's alright. I just got a little melodramatic, I guess. But you're right, mothers do worry."

The Yamanaka wondered what to do to make him feel better. Nothing came to mind, unfortunately, or at least nothing that wasn't rated R. Naruto sensed the disturbance in her mind, and said, "It's alright, Ino. You don't have to do anything to make me feel better. Just the fact that you're sitting next to me, supporting me, is enough to make me feel like a king."

They sat there for a while, Naruto stroking Ino's long hair, until the clock struck twelve. Naruto smiled, and kissed Ino, before saying, "Happy birthday, sweetheart." Ino kissed him back, her heart melting with warmth. She pushed him back onto the couch, and got on top of him. Just as things were heating up, the Kyuubi began growling from within Naruto, and he said, "One moment, Ino."

She pouted, "What is it?" Naruto frowned and said, "That stupid fox is starting to act up. Hold on a second." He went into his psyche, and said, "What is it, you dolt? Can't you see I'm busy?!"

The fox growled, "**I've had enough of this lovey-dovey business. It's getting too irritating. Stop it right now.**" Naruto gave him the finger, and said, "That's none of your business. If you don't want to see it, go to sleep, and leave me alone. Ino and I are together now, and I don't care what you think of it."

The fox's eyes glowed, and he said, "**Have care how you speak, kit. You lose control once, just once, and that blonde bitch will be the first to die, I promise you that.**" Naruto was peeved now, and he said, "What the hell is wrong with you?! I thought you were better than that! I thought that we could become friends, but there's simply no reasoning with you! You're nothing but a good-for-nothing piece of orange turd, who has no feelings!"

The Kyuubi roared at the insult, and Naruto looked back, with absolutely no change in his expression. He said, "I've outgrown you, Kyuubi. Your words have absolutely no effect on me. So quit trying to make me change. If you have even an ounce of self-respect, try to change yourself for once."

That being said, he stepped outside of his psyche, and said, "Stupid fox." Ino looked at him in concern, "Is there a problem?"

Naruto said, "He thinks that I shouldn't have a decent life. He's trying to stop me from being with you. I told him, not a chance." Ino smiled and the two of them went back to their earlier 'activity'.

The next morning, Naruto woke up abruptly. Ino was sleeping next to him, and smiling contentedly. He grinned and kissed her on the forehead, before getting up. He got ready, left a note for her, and quickly stepped out of the house. Ino woke up about half an hour later, and read the note, which said, "Gone on a couple of errands. Will be back soon, don't leave the house. Bringing breakfast." She smiled and began to get ready as well.

As she came out of the shower, the door opened, and Naruto came in, playing with a scroll. He wished her a good morning, and went into the kitchen. Ino put on a sundress, and came into the kitchen, saying, "How do I look?" Naruto looked back at her, and kept on staring. Ino began to blush slightly inspite of herself. Naruto said hoarsely, "Unbelievable. Every time I think you won't look any better than you already are, you go and do something like this."

Ino blushed even more at the slight tenting in Naruto's pants. She came over, and said, "What's for eats?"

He tried to concentrate on the food, which he had unpacked from the scroll, but his eyes kept on sliding towards Ino. She smirked, "Pervert. Focus, Ruto-kun." They had breakfast, which took a while, considering Naruto's distraction. Ino said, "So, what are we going to do today? I hope you have something nice planned for me."

Naruto nodded, and said, "We're going for a movie in the new theater." Ino looked a little surprised, and said, "Isn't that just like a normal date?"

The boy said, "Yup, except that I booked the entire theater, so there won't be anybody else except the two of us." Ino's face shot up in wonder, and she thought, 'He booked an entire theater just for the two of us! Amazing!' She quickly masked her expression and said, "Alright, let's go then."

They left, and reached the movie theater, where Ino was again surprised at the movie choice. She said, "Naruto, this is a romantic movie. I thought you like action movies." He nodded, and said, "I do. But today is your birthday, not mine." They went in, Ino's arm linked to Naruto's. They had a wonderful time at the theater, and Naruto said, "Come on. Next stop; Ichiraku."

Ino sighed, "Naruto, really? The ramen store?" He grinned, and said, "Just bear with it." As they went in, Ino's face fell open. There was a giant poster of Ino inside the shop, wishing her a happy birthday. Also, the special on the menu that day was the...

"Ino Yamanaka Diet Ramen?"

Naruto smiled, "I got Teuchi-san to name the special dish for the day after you. Also, there's no one to disturb us for lunch today, since I booked the entire store." Ino's eyes widened to the point that they would almost leave her sockets. 'Just how much money has he spent on me today?'

Teuchi came out of the back, and said, "Hey, Naruto. Want to get everything set up?" Naruto nodded. Teuchi closed the store down from the front, making everything darker. Then he lit a few candles on the center table, and put out the lights as well. Ino and Naruto walked over to the table, where Naruto pulled a chair out and offered it to Ino. She sat down, and Naruto sat opposite to her. Teuchi brought out the meal which Naruto had already ordered, and the two of them enjoyed a quiet, romantic candle-lit dinner. Ino sighed in satisfaction, and thought, 'It can't get much better than this.'

An hour or so later, Naruto said, "It's time to head to the Yamanaka compound, Ino. I can't keep you to myself for so long. Your parents and relatives will want to wish you a happy birthday. I'll meet you again in the evening as it is. So, I guess it's time to escort you to your home." Ino sighed, but realized that Naruto was right, and said, "Alright, let's go. This is the most wonderful birthday I've ever had, Naruto. Thank you so much."

Naruto smiled, "Fun's not over yet." He walked Ino over to the compound and said, "Alright, I'll see you in the evening, then. Have fun, Ino." She kissed him and said, "It won't be nearly as much fun without you, though. Why don't you join us?" Naruto said, "I've got a few preparations to be done for the evening. So I should get going." Ino understood. She headed into her clan's compound, and Naruto headed off to the Chunin Exam Stadium.

Once he reached there, the boy was greeted by the rest of the Konoha 11. Shikamaru grumbled, "You're late." Naruto scratched his head, and said, "I got caught up with lunch. I just left Ino to her house, so we should be good to go."

Sasuke said, "What's the plan, dobe?" Naruto said, "We need to prep the Stadium. Lighting, fireworks at the ready, music, everything that needs to be there for a coming of age party." Sasuke replied lazily, "I wouldn't know what that's like, I didn't attend my own coming of age party."

Naruto said, "You're already sixteen?" Sasuke nodded slightly, before looking away. Choji broke in, "So, what duties do we have? We should get everything set quickly." Naruto nodded. He said, "Choji, you, Kiba and Shino are in charge of getting all the lighting done. With your Transformation Jutsu, and Kiba's speed, along with Shino's insects helping, you can decorate the stadium in no time. I've got all the stuff ready with Iguromo, one of you will need to go and get him."

The three of them nodded, and Kiba said, "I'll go and get them." He headed outside the stadium. Naruto continued, "Sasuke, I want you, Sakura and Hinata to arrange the fireworks at the edges of the stadium, as well as the roof. I've got people from the Yamanaka clan who are going to be setting them off later on. Place them so they aren't too close to each other. The fireworks are at the Ninja Ops building, and they are a little heavy, so all three of you will need to go. Make sure not to drop them, they are a little delicate."

Sasuke shrugged, and took off. Sakura said, "Wait, Sasuke-kun!" She headed off after him, and Hinata looked at her, unsure of what to do. Naruto said, "Hinata, you better go with them." She nodded, still struggling a little, but began to run off after the two Team 7 members.

Neji, Lee, Tenten, Shikamaru, Choji and Shino looked at Naruto, who walked over to the pile of lumber that was lying around the stadium. He called them over and said, "Until Kiba gets back with the lighting, why don't we all get started with the podium?" Choji and Shino nodded. Neji, Lee and Tenten also nodded, and they began constructing the podium where Ino was to be standing to celebrate her majority. Under Naruto's instructions, the stage came along very fast. Some time later, Kiba came back, his arms laden with lighting. He said, "Wow, I didn't expect this stuff to be so heavy."

Akamaru, who was also wrapped around with lighting, barked loudly. Naruto nodded, and Choji and Shino went over and took off the lighting from Akamaru's body, before helping Kiba as well. The three of them set to work on the lighting, while Naruto created a few Shadow Clones to help with the rest of the work that they were doing.

Meanwhile, Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata had brought the fireworks from Ninja Ops, and had started placing them on the roofs first, so that they wouldn't interfere with the work going on in the stadium. Sasuke said, "Naruto's sure gone to a lot of trouble for this." Sakura said, "Yeah. I heard that he worked hard with Inoichi-san in order to get all of this stuff. This isn't normally the kind of decor you see on birthdays."

Hinata worked silently, not at all interested in what was going on. But as a friend to Ino, she couldn't let her personal feelings get in the way of her friend's majority. So she continued working, thinking, 'I'm doing this for Naruto's happiness, not for Ino.' Sakura looked sideways at Hinata, wondering what was going on in her mind.

'She's always loved Naruto. What could she possibly be thinking right now? She must be hurting so much inside, knowing that the love of her life doesn't even give her a second look.' She felt very sad for the Hyuga heiress. She looked over at Sasuke as well. 'At least he hasn't changed that much. He's still an ass. But he's mine, that's for sure. And even if he isn't showing it, he's changed a little bit ever since he rejoined the village.'

Sasuke looked at her and said, "Something wrong, Sakura?" She shook her head quickly and went back to work. Naruto had finished with the podium, and was helping out with the lighting now, which was close to completion as well. It was starting to get late now, and Naruto was getting frantic. He said, "Come on, guys, we need to get things wrapped up quick! The guests are gonna start coming heere any time now!"

Everyone finished working just in time. Naruto quickly connected the lighting to the generator, and the entire stadium lit up like a Christmas tree. It looked amazing. The Konoha 11 assembled at the front of the stadium, and waited for the guests to start showing up. Sure enough, people started coming soon. Inoichi Yamanaka was one of the first to show up, and he looked at Naruto questioningly. Naruto gave him a big smile and a thumbs up.

Once most of the guests had appeared, Mitsuri and Ino entered the stadium to tumultous applause. Ino bowed, and made her way up to the stage, where Inoichi and Naruto were waiting for her. There were many familiar faces in the crowd, and Naruto had even got Gaara to come. Ino was awestruck by the amount of work that her boyfriend and family had put into this birthday celebration.

Inoichi took the mic and said, "Welcome, everyone, to my daughter's majority. Ino Yamanaka turns sixteen today, and it is a day of great pride for me. My daughter has become a respected ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, and is soon to be the head of the Yamanaka clan. So, as is tradition, let's bring it out, shall we?" The crowd hooted in approval, as Inoichi took out a bottle of wine from his robes, and presented it to Ino. She took it in her hands, and bowed down, before her father raised her up and hugged her warmly.

Naruto flicked a switch behind the stadium, and lights began to shine in the center of the stage, where no one was standing. A hole opened up and a magnificent cake rose up from within, a three layered cake, with a large amount of white and pink icing, perfect for a Kunoichi. Everyone stared in awe at the cake, and Choji began drooling.

Inoichi and Mitsuri led Ino to the cake and she cut it, again to a huge round of applause. Naruto had returned to the stage, and Ino was fed a piece of cake from her parents as well as Naruto. As the music began, Naruto took the mic and said in a husky voice, "Excuse me, everyone, I have an announcement to make." Everyone's eyes turned over to him, and he walked over to Ino.

The entire stadium went silent as he Naruto dropped to one knee in front of Ino, and produced a tiny square box from his pocket. Ino's hands shot up to her mouth, and one could feel that every person in the stadium was holding their breath. Naruto opened the box, producing a beautiful ring, and said into the mic, "Ino Yamanaka, will you marry me?"

Choking on her tears, Ino was unable to speak. Untold emotions began running down her cheeks, in the form of tears, as she mouthed "Yes! Yes! Yes!" and he slipped the ring into her delicate ring finger. The entire crowd roared in approval as Naruto stood up and kissed Ino. Inoichi put his arm around Mitsuri, who was busy crying happily. She put her head on his shoulder, and looked in happiness as her daughter was surrounded by her friends, as was Naruto.

Inoichi said, "She's finally grown up, Mitsuri. I never envisioned this day. But I have to admit, she found the right person for her." Mitsuri nodded, sniffling a little. She said, "I can't believe it's been so long since I held Ino as a small baby in my arms, and now she's become engaged."

The party went on late into the night, and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Ino, however, noticed that Hinata had long gone from the party. She thought, 'Poor thing. She must have been devastated. I need to talk to her.' But just then, Sakura came over, demanding to see the ring again, and she put the thought out of her mind.

Finally, as everyone started to beg their way out, only a few people were left in the stadium, including Ino's family, Naruto, the rest of Konoha 11, and the Hokage and Kazekage. Gaara, who hadn't wished the girl formally, went over and said, "Congratulations on your majority, Ino Yamanaka. And congratulations for you and Naruto as well. I wish you all the best for the future."

Ino smiled and said, "Thank you, Kazekage-sama. I am most honored by your presence for my majority." Gaara replied, "I couldn't refuse Naruto now, could I? Not when it was such an important time for him." Then he lowered his voice and said, "And thanks to him, I don't need to spend three days traveling to the Sand anymore." Ino nodded in understanding.

Tsunade came over and said, "Happy birthday, Ino. I hope you had a wonderful time today. This knucklehead and your family have spent a long time preparing all of this specially for you. And all your friends have been a big part of it as well." Ino said, "Thank you, Hokage-sama. And thank you, all of you, for making this the best birthday of my life."

Tsunade said, "Now, let me have a close look at the ring. Even I haven't seen it until now." She stepped over as Ino showed her the ring. It was a platinum ring, with three rubys set into the middle in a triangular pattern. Ino said, "I can sense Naruto's chakra from inside of it." Tsunade's eyes widened, and she said, "Naruto! Get over here!"

Naruto, who was busy talking to Shikamaru, came jogging over. He said, "What is it, Grandma Tsunade?" She pointed towards the ring and said, "Where did you buy the ring from?" Naruto scratched his head sheepishly, and smiled, "I made it myself."

Everyone's jaw dropped as he made the statement. Tsunade couldn't believe her ears, and said, "You made it yourself?" Naruto nodded.

"I used the Weapon Forge Jutsu to make it. It took me the better part of a day to do it. I also imbibed it with my own chakra, as well as a tag for you know what. So that Ino will never be in any danger. Ino, if you ever find yourself in a tough situation, you can channel chakra into that ring, and I'll know where you are instantly."

Everyone stared in awe at the thoughtfulness of the blonde ninja. Inoichi let out a low whistle; even he hadn't seen the ring until now. Ino had again found her eyes becoming teary, and she hugged Naruto fiercely. She whispered into his ear, "Thank you."

As everyone began to leave the stadium at the same time, Inoichi said, "Naruto, a moment." He stopped and turned around. Inoichi said, "I'm proud of you, Naruto. I don't think that I would ever find a better son-in-law than you. Congratulations." He shook the young man's hand and Naruto said, "Thanks a lot, old man. I hope I can do justice to the amount of love that you have showered upon your daughter." Inoichi smiled, "I'm sure that you'll do just fine."

Ino looked back and said, "What's the hold up, guys? Come on!" The two of them caught up to the rest of the group and everyone headed their separate ways after wishing each other a good night, and in Ino's case, a happy birthday. The three Yamanakas headed back to their compound, and Naruto walked back to his temporary house in the barracks, thinking, 'It couldn't have turned out much better than this.'

He was so wrong.


	47. Chapter 47:Bee

**Author's Note: What's up guys, Cannonballer is back with another chapter for you today! I must admit that I didn't expect to return, what with my life taking a downward spiral, but I've finally returned, and I hope that this time I can finish what I started. I hope everyone hates me for leaving the story on a cliffhanger, I'd hate it too, but I'm evil like that. :P Anyway, this chapter is a bit short, but I don't have too much time. Thought I'd mention that the chapters following this one will also be shorter in length than my previous chapters, and also I make no promises to update timely. I hope you understand. For anyone who has still been waiting for updates to this story since I stopped writing, I'm really sorry but I have been through hell and back, so writing was not a priority in my life. Cheers to all those who still care. Anyway, here's chapter 47, and hope you guys enjoy!**

**Chapter 47: Bee**

A few days ago...

"There's no sign of him, Raikage-sama."

Ay put his head between his hands, trying to nurse the growing headache that was forming in it. 'How many times have I told Bee not to wander off? This is getting ridiculous. I don't think I have a choice anymore, I'm going to have to put a seal on him.'

Mabui looked anxiously at the Raikage, wondering what was going on in his head. He looked outside the giant window of his office, and then turned around.

"Bring Darui over here." Mabui nodded nervously, and almost ran out of the office. As she exited the door, a giant crash sounded from inside, and she heaved a sigh of relief, 'Just got out in time. He's in another of his rages.'

The Fourth Raikage's secretary quickly sent a messenger to Darui, knowing that he would never pick up a call. A few minutes later, Darui appeared in front of her, astonishing her. She said, "I didn't expect you to get here so quickly."

Darui replied, "I was nearby, so I was able to get here quickly. What's the matter?"

"Bee has gone off somewhere again, and the Raikage wants to see you."

Darui nodded, and began walking towards the Raikage's office.

"Be careful, he's in one of his rages! He might throw the coffee table at you!" Mabui called as he walked off. Darui grinned knowingly, and waved at her. He reached the office, and knocked on the door tentatively. A moment later the door was thrown open, and A stood in front of the Jonin, his face black as a thunderstorm.

As soon as he saw Darui, the Raikage calmed down a bit, and said, "Come in." Darui followed the leader of the Cloud into his office, and shook his head in disappointment as he saw the broken furniture. He said, "Raikage-sama, with all due respect, we should assign you to an empty office, seeing the amount of damage you do when you get angry."

The Raikage raised an eyebrow, and Darui fell silent. A said, "It's not like I get the furniture for free, I pay for it from my own pocket. And forget the damn furniture, I want to know how Bee ran away again! Didn't I tell you and the other Jonins to keep an eye out for his antics?"

Darui stolidly replied, "Of course, Raikage-sama, but you might be forgetting that I was on a mission for the last few days, and got back just yesterday. I didn't have enough time to get bearings on Bee's location. In fact, I believe that he got away knowing that I wasn't there to stop him."

A grunted, and said, "Whatever. He's gone, and we need to get him back. I don't want those Akatsuki fools to lay their hands on him, he has no idea how strong they are."

Darui scratched his chin, and replied, "I'll begin the search right away."

He left the office, and began thinking, 'Now, if I were Bee, where would I possibly go?' Images of Bee's concerts flashed through his mind and he paled. 'Oh, man, I've got to find him quickly. If the Raikage finds out that he's off doing some concert again, he's going to get really mad!'

Darui began running towards all of Bee's favorite haunts, searching for the Eight Tails Jinchuuriki. Bee, however, was nowhere to be found. Darui scratched his head, thinking, 'This guy gets better and better at hiding every time. I wonder where he's disappeared off to this time.' Just then, he saw Omoi and Karui walking past the street, and ran over to them.

"Oye, you two!"

The two ninjas looked at him, and Omoi waved. "Hi, Darui. What's up?"

Darui said, "Do you know where Bee is?"

Omoi frowned, "Bee-sama? I thought he was in the office with Raikage-sama. At least, that's what he told me." Karui nodded, "Yes, we met him this morning, and he told us that he was going to be with Raikage-sama the entire day. Then he headed off towards the office, and disappeared. We wanted to spend some time with him, so we were a little disappointed."

Darui said, "Bee lied to you. He's gone off somewhere on his own, and the Raikage is furious. We need to find him quickly, before Ay-sama brings down his office in a fit of anger."

Omoi and Karui paled, and said, "Oh, god, not again!" Just then, a smooth voice behind them said, "Well, it's a good thing that I'm here, then."

The three of them looked behind and saw Samui standing there, leaning against a shop wall. She said, "I saw Bee heading outside the village today. I didn't think that he would leave without permission, though."

Darui groaned, "Samui, haven't you learned from the past five thousand times that Bee has tried to leave the village?" Samui shrugged and said, "I was busy, anyway. Come on, I know where he must have gone. He's probably off training with the Hachibi."

Omoi and Karui raised their eyebrows in concern, and Samui grinned, "Don't worry, Bee can control the Hachibi. What we need to know is why he would go without permission." The four of began to run towards the hills where Samui had seen Bee head towards. As they reached the entrance of the village, the guards stopped them, "Why are you leaving the village?"

Darui explained the situation, and the guard sighed, "Again? God help us." He allowed them to pass, and they continued to travel towards the hills. About half an hour later, a giant roar sounded in the hills, and they began to run towards it, wondering what had happened. Everyone thought the same thing, 'Did Bee lose control of the Eight Tails?'

As they climbed atop a mountain and looked down into the valleys, they saw an astonishing sight. Bee was nowhere to be seen, but the Eight Tails was walking around in its full glory. As they watched, the Hachibi reared its mouth, and a giant purple sphere appeared atop it. Much to the astonishment of the four Cloud nins, the Hachibi swallowed the sphere. Then it turned towards a mountain and spat the sphere out. A split second later, the mountain was nowhere to be seen.

Darui said, "So, he's practicing the Tailed Beast Bomb."

Omoi said, "How do you know? Couldn't it be possible that he lost control of the Hachibi?"

Samui replied, "Impossible. Omoi, you, of all people, should know about the amount of control Bee-sama has over the Eight Tails. They are like friends. The Hachibi would have no reason to break out." At that very moment, Bee decided to create another Tailed Beast Bomb, and spat it, unfortunately, right into the mountain where the four Cloud nins were standing.

The only thought that crossed everyone's minds was, 'Oh, damn.'

As the mountain exploded, everyone was thrown off their feet into the air. Samui and Darui managed to steady themselves in the air, but Omoi and Karui were too busy screaming their heads off. Luckily for them, Bee heard their screams and saw them falling. He sprang into action, jumping into the air, and caught all of them with his tentacle like tails.

Bee landed on the ground with a giant crash, and said, "Fools, ya fools! What were you doing on the mountains?" He let them go, and the ninjas began to dust themselves off, coughing. Bee quickly reverted back to his normal form. He said, "What's the matter, you four? Couldn't you have warned me that you were standing up there before?"

Darui sarcastically replied, "Evidently not. What the hell are you doing out here by yourself? You know that you're not allowed outside the village now!"

Bee sang, "I was just practising my techniques, b-rother. Wouldn't do good to become dull, yo!" Samui sighed.

"Come on, Bee-sama, we need to get back now, or Ay-sama is going to kill you."

Bee shrugged, "O-kay!" They began to walk back to the village.

As they reached the entrance, they saw Ay running towards the gates at full speed. Bee blanched and tried to run, but Ay caught him with a giant lariat, and sent him flying. The Raikage caught him by the nape of his neck and began ragdolling him. "FOOL, YA FOOL! I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE, DIDN'T I?"

Omoi and Karui tried to stifle their giggles at Bee's thrashing. Bee struggled to escape, but Ay powerbombed him right into the road, sending cracks all over the place. He said, "LET THIS BE A LESSON, BEE! IF YOU DARE TO GO OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE AGAIN, I WILL NOT TOLERATE IT! UNDERSTOOD!"

Bee shakily stood up, his glasses lopsided, and managed a small thumbs up, saying, "O-kay, b...b-rother!" The Raikage walked away, supremely unconcerned at the damage he had just caused. Samui and Darui put their hands to their heads, wondering how their village would flourish if the money they earned was constantly used to repair it.

Bee walked over to them shakily, and Darui gave him a shoulder to support him. The four of them began heading towards the Raikage's office. As they reached, they saw Mabui heading out. She looked at them and smiled. "Hey, you guys, come here!"

They headed towards the Raikage's secretary. She said, "So, what were you up to this time, Bee?" The man began to speak, but Samui cut across him, "He was just training." Bee nodded.

Mabui said, "Bee, you know that Ay-sama is worried about you. He doesn't want the Akatsuki to get their hands on you. That is why he doesn't allow you outside the village."

Bee said, "I am capable enough to take care of myself, Mabui-san. Oh, yeah, able and capable."

Mabui shrugged, and replied, "Well, Ay-sama doesn't think the same way. So unless you want another beating, I suggest you should stay on his good side." She walked off.

Darui said, "I would listen to her if I were you, Bee. Why don't you help Ay-sama with the office stuff? That would keep you busy." Bee snorted, "Like I was made to sit at a desk job, fool, ya fool! I'm a ninja, I'm a fighter. Yeah!" He walked off as well.

Darui shook his head in disappointment, and Samui said, "Well, at least you tried." Omoi and Karui looked at each other, and Omoi said, "We should get going too. We've got that mission at the Land of Birds to prepare for, Samui. We were actually searching for you when Darui found us."

Samui replied, "Alright, let's go." The three of them took off, leaving Darui with his thoughts.

"It is time. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Madara-sama. I am ready."

Madara Uchiha and Zetsu looked at the Cloud Village from the mountain they were standing on. Madara was almost unrecognizable, in his new attire. He was sporting a pale blue mask, with red spirals. He had an outfit similar to the Leaf Village ANBU, but with different colors, pale blue in place of black, and red in place of silver.

Zetsu, on the other hand, was the same as always. White Zetsu said, "Madara-sama, how are we going to control the village after Ay is killed? The other ninjas won't follow us." Madara grinned under his mask, and said, "Don't worry. You see, the Hidden Cloud Village has an old rule that I'm going to remind them of. It's been dormant for many years, but it still holds."

Black Zetsu asked, "What is this rule?"

Madara replied, "Anyone can challenge the Raikage in a battle to the death. If the challenger wins, he or she becomes the next Raikage. This rule was made in order to ensure that the Raikage would always be worthy of the title."

"I see." White Zetsu said, "Well, in that case, let's go give the Raikage a wake-up call then, shall we?" Madara nodded, and the two of them began to walk down towards the Hidden Cloud village. As they reached the perimeter, two shinobi walked up to them.

"Halt!"

Madara and Zetsu stopped, and one of the shinobi said, "State the purpose of your visit to the Hidden Cloud Village." Zetsu glanced over to the Uchiha, wondering what he would do.

Madara simply replied, "I'm here to challenge the Raikage in battle."

Both the shinobi stared at him for a split second before they burst out laughing. "Oh, oh, that's a good one. Challenge the Raikage, ha ha ha!" Madara said, "Are you going to let me pass or not?"

The two shinobi stood in front of him, and said, "No."

"Very well," Madara said. He folded his hands, and flared his chakra. A moment later, he was standing in a huge hole in the ground. The two shinobi froze, and began trembling. 'Such powerful chakra! Impossible!'

"Now, will you let me pass?" Madara asked again. The two shinobi squealed and ran. Zetsu shook his head in disappointment, and said, "If this is the kind of shinobi the Raikage is breeding, then it's a good thing that we are taking over."

Madara snorted in contempt, as the two of them began to walk towards the village again, and said, "I have no intention of ruling over the Hidden Cloud Village. I just needed a reason to get inside so that I can take the Hachibi from here. Although, now that you mention it, it would be nice to be in a position of power. I've always wanted to be Hokage, after all."

Zetsu looked confused. He said, "So, you weren't going to actually challenge the Raikage until now? I thought you said you wanted to take over."

"That wasn't part of the plan, actually," Madara replied, "until you brought it up right now. I guess the Hidden Cloud Village would benefit under some better leadership."

"But do you thing you can take him out that easily, Madara-sama?" Zetsu asked pensively. Madara didn't answer.

They reached the gates of the village, where some of the shinobi were keeping a lookout, probably having been warned by the first two shinobi that Madara had scared. One of them stepped up and said, "If you wish to challenge the Raikage, then wait here until he is summoned. One step inside this village, and you shall be treated as a criminal."

Madara shrugged, and walked over to a nearby boulder, which he sat atop. Zetsu walked over to the shinobi, who cringed and said, "Don't come any closer! I'm warning you!"

"Zetsu!" Madara warned. The black and white man said, "Not to worry, Madara-sama, I just want to ask them a question."

All the shinobi looked confused. Zetsu went towards the man who seemed to be in charge, and White Zetsu said, "I want to know...how do humans poo?"

The shinobi were bewildered. The leader said, "What?" Zetsu repeated his question, "How do you people poo? What color is it? How does it look?"

The guy in charge recovered the fastest, and replied shakingly, "I don't know what you're up to, but we're not going to answer these ridiculous questions! Go away!"

"Oh, well." Zetsu shrugged, and walked over to where Madara was sitting. Madara grinned under his mask, and said, "Why are you so obsessed with the human excretion process?" White Zetsu said, "I find it fascinating. Since I can't do it, I want to know how you people do."

Madara replied, "It's not something that humans are proud of, to talk about it openly." Zetsu said, "Ah, I see. Well, I'll just have to find out some other time."

Just then, something flew out of the sky right into the ground in front of the village. A huge crater opened up, and everyone stared in awe as the Raikage emerged from it. "Who is this imbecile who has dared to challenge me?"

Madara stood up and jumped down from the rock he was sitting atop. He leaned against it, and said, "I challenged you. And I must say, I thought you were faster than that. This might be a little disappointing."

Ay became red in the face, and roared, "I'LL SHOW YOU FAST!" He rushed towards Madara, and thrust out his palm to attack. At the last second, Madara vanished.

Ay looked around, flabbergasted. Then he sensed Madara's chakra above him, and looked up. Madara was standing right on top of his head.

"If you think that is fast, you might as well give up right now," Madara said, "because I am thoroughly unimpressed."

'This guy is something different. I need to get my bearings right, and think straight.' Ay thought. He swiped at Madara to get him off his head, and said, "Okay, you're pretty fast. But that wasn't even half of my full speed."

Madara said, "Alright, show me what you've got."

Ay replied, "According to the rule of the challenge set forth by the second Raikage, the challenger must state his name before the fight begins."

Madara's eyes gleamed, and he said, "That is true, I guess. Very well. I am… Uchiha Madara."

Time stopped for Ay as he digested the name. 'Uchiha Madara! That's impossible! He should be dead! The First Hokage killed him!'

Madara chuckled under his mask, and said, "Shall we begin?"

Ay was frozen. 'I've heard stories about this man. He's a legend. I can't defeat him!'

Madara didn't wait for an answer. He charged head on towards the Raikage, and thrust a fist at his solar plexus. The Raikage was only barely able to block by putting up his forearms in front of him, and flew back from the force of the punch. 'This is bad. I need to somehow get Bee here. Only the two of us together might stand some chance against this guy.'

Unfortunately, Madara didn't give him any quarter. He had not had a good fight in ages, and wasn't going to hold back this time. 'I only hope that he doesn't die too quickly. That would be a shame.'

Ay stayed on the defensive, while trying to come up with some plan. Madara kept pursuing him doggedly, and didn't let him get away. Finally, Ay's temper got the best of him, and he decided that offense is the best defense.

"TAKE THIS! LIGHTNING STYLE: HEAVENLY BOLT!" He thrust his hand towards Madara, with a closed fist and only the index finger pointing towards him. Madara's eyes widened at the power of the jutsu. 'Interesting. It seems that the Raikage isn't a pushover.'

A slim beam of lightning shot out from the index finger of the Raikage, and at the close distance between them, it was sure to hit the Uchiha. But at the last instance, the beam passed right through him, and shredded the mountain behind him into pieces.

Ay stood in shock as he fathomed what had just transpired. 'It passed through him. My S-Ranked Jutsu, it just passed through him like it was air. How did he do that?'

Madara grinned, "That was quite a good try. I wasn't sure whether I could dodge that. It was a close call."

Ay was totally lost. 'He...dodged it? But... I saw it pass right through him! How could he have dodged it? Did he use some sort of image manipulation jutsu?'

Then a thought suddenly crossed his mind, and he put his hands together, shouting, "RELEASE!" However, nothing seemed to change, and Madara hissed, "You're in reality, my friend. This isn't a GenJutsu. I am very much real."

"How did you dodge my attack?! I saw it pass through you!" Ay asked furiously.

Madara said, "I see no need to tell you my secrets. Now, get ready, here I come again!" He charged again, and the two of them traded blows again. As they fought, Ay suddenly had a weird feeling. 'This guy...for a legend, he sure doesn't seem that strong. Is he really Madara, or just some imposter using his name to scare us?'

He decided to try to trick Madara, and said, "If you're really Uchiha Madara, why don't you have the Sharingan? And why are you wearing a mask? What do you have to hide?"

Madara stopped. He looked sideways at the Raikage, and said, "You want the Sharingan? YOU'VE GOT IT! TSUKUYOMI!"

The world around Ay became orange. He looked around, wondering what had happened to him. Remembering the word that Madara had just said, he tried to recall what his father had told him about the Sharingan. But nothing had been spoken about this.

Madara appeared in front of the Raikage, and said, "Welcome to my world, Raikage. Let's see if you really have what it takes to be a leader."

Three seconds passed in the real world, but three days of pain had been inflicted on the Raikage. He collapsed to his knees as they returned to the real world, and Madara said, "You should not have questioned my existence."

All the Cloud shinobi watched in horror as Madara walked over to the Raikage, taking a kunai out as he did. Madara bent over, and caught the Raikage by the neck. "Before I take your place, I need to know something. Where is the Hachibi?"

"Why do you need to know?" Ay asked in return.

Madara got annoyed, and said, "I'm the one who asks the questions around here. Now, tell me where he is. I have some important work with it." Suddenly, Ay realized.

"So, you're working for the Akatsuki? Wow, how the great have fallen." Madara roared, "I AM THE AKATSUKI!" He threw the Raikage right through the wall of the village.

Ay got up slowly, and thought, 'He's strong. But, he's not strong enough. I still don't believe that he is Madara. If it was, I might have been dead already. He got me with his Sharingan, but that won't work again. All I need to do is focus on TaiJutsu now. I need some time to recuperate, though.'

He began to walk back outside the village, when Darui came running over to him. He said, "Darui, I need you to get Bee. He's the only one who can help me out here."

Darui said, "Bee? But this is a challenge, Raikage-sama. Bee wouldn't be of any use here."

Ay shouted, "Don't question me! I know the rules of the challenge by heart. The Raikage is permitted to have a tag-team partner. Why do you think I spent years searching for one in the first place?!"

Darui understood. He nodded quickly and ran inside the village, looking for Bee. Ay walked back to where Madara was standing.

Madara said, "So, you took your own sweet time getting here. What's the matter, too afraid to face me?"

"You wish. I've not even got warmed up yet."

'Hmm,' Madara thought, 'He seems to be recovering from the effects of the Tsukuyomi almost immediately. That is somewhat troubling. It could prove to be troublesome.'

Ay shook out his arms, and began stretching them. Seeing his confidence, his fellow Cloud ninjas began to cheer for him. Madara looked around at them, and shook his head in disappointment. 'They're the same, no matter which village they belong to. Stupid nins.'

Without warning, Ay rushed towards Madara. The Uchiha only had a split second in which to react, but he was unfazed by the sudden attack. Ay put his right hand out in a giant lariat, only to find himself falling to the ground, right through the legendary Uchiha. As he cartwheeled to right himself up, he saw Madara advancing towards him with the kunai, and blocked it with his left arm.

'He's fast as well. I suppose he is the Raikage for a reason,' Madara thought. 'But he's still not as fast as he should be. Or is he holding back his true speed?'

Ay guessed what Madara might have been thinking, but made no efforts to prove him true. He continued to fight, relying mostly on his specialized NinTaiJutsu, forcing Madara onto the defensive. Finally, the Uchiha couldn't take it anymore. A spot of blood appeared on the rim of his mask's left eye hole, as he shouted, "AMATERASU!"

Ay looked in horror at the divine black flames as they spread towards him in a menacing manner. 'If they touch me, I'm done for.' He signed quickly, and said, "Earth Style: Earth Barrier!" A giant circular barrier opened up from the ground, encapsulating the flames within them. For a few seconds, everyone could hear the flames trying to escape the barrier, but then they subsided.

Ay looked back at Madara only to find him panting a little. 'This is the legendary Uchiha? The one who went toe-to-toe with Hashirama Senju? I don't buy it.' He said, "What's the matter? Getting tired already?"

Madara chuckled again, and replied, "You sure talk big. But you've been unable to land a single blow on me yet. I've already marked you twice."

Ay laughed, "That Tsukuyomi of yours? I've faced worse pain in real life. By my own father's hands. And that throw of yours into the village wall? Same thing again. It'll take a lot more than that to faze me. Now, let's get serious, shall we? Lightning Style: Lightning Armor!"

A fierce blue aura began to surround the Raikage. It formed a barrier around him. With renewed speed, he charged at Madara, who found it tougher and tougher to keep up with the Raikage's enhanced speed and strength.

Ay stuck out his right arm in an uppercut, causing Madara to flinch backwards, exactly what the Raikage was hoping for. He swept the Uchiha's legs, and drilled him to the ground. As he extended his index finger for another strike, he once again found himself going right through the Uchiha.

Madara backflipped his way out of the tight situation, and Ay roared in anger. "FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN, YOU COWARD!"

The Uchiha coolly replied, "Using a unique technique doesn't make one a coward. I could tell you the same thing. Get rid of that armor and then we'll talk."

"Hmph."

For a change, Madara attacked this time, swiping his kunai towards his opponent's chest. A didn't even attempt to block it, and the kunai shattered against the lightning armor. A mild shock went through the Uchiha's body, and he trembled for a moment, as his hair frizzed out.

All the ninjas began to laugh. Madara sent a swirl through his chakra points to straighten himself out, and carried on as though nothing had happened. The two of them continued fighting, appearing to be at a stalemate in TaiJutsu, even with the Raikage's lightning armor.

As the battle grew more and more intense, it began to lead away from the village. The ninjas followed, and most of them realized that the Raikage was up to something. He was deliberately leading Madara on a dance away from the village so that the two of them could fight at their full potential.

Darui ran through the village, searching in vain for the Eight Tails Jinchuuriki. However, he couldn't find him anywhere. Just as he was giving up all hopes, he heard a musical tone from south west of his poisition, and high tailed it over there. He found Bee preparing a giant stage, and face-palmed.

"BEE! THE RAIKAGE NEEDS YOU RIGHT NOW! AS HIS TAG TEAM PARTNER!"

Bee looked back at Darui, and simply gave him a thumbs up. Darui blinked, and Bee was no longer in front of him. Instead, he was right next to him. "Thanks for the warning, b-rother!" And then he was gone.

Darui stared at the spot where Bee had been standing, wondering when Bee had become this fast. He decided to head back to the battle.

Bee quickly made it to where a fierce battle was raging, with over a battalion of ninjas surrounding them, watching the fight unfold. He quickly stepped in between the two, causing the battle to pause.

"You summoned me for a tag team, Raikage-sama?"

A noted the seriousness in Bee's voice with satisfaction, and nodded. Bee stood next to him, and said, "I'm ready when you are, b-rother! Let's remind this goon of his mother!"

'And, he's back.'

Madara said, "What is this? A two-on-one fight? Aren't you man enough to fight me on your own, Raikage?"

Ay bristled, but replied, "As per the rules of engagement, a Raikage is allowed to have a tag team partner in his fight against a challenger, should the need or the desire arise. When I first heard of your name, I no doubt felt like I would need my partner soon. But having fought you, I guess I don't anymore. You're not at all what I expected you to be."

Bee said, "Who is this fool anyway?"

A yreplied, "Madara Uchiha."

"Yo, that's not cool. Madara is dead, fool, ya fool."

"No, he's not. At least, not until I confirm this guy's identity."

Madara said, "Well, then, I request a tag team partner as well. It is only fair." Ay nodded, and Zetsu jumped next to the Uchiha.

He whispered, "With all due respect, Madara-sama, I'm not a fighter."

Madara nodded, and replied, "I know, Zetsu. I only need you to distract the other guy while I take care of the Raikage. Lead him away from the two of us. He could hinder my fight."

Zetsu understood. Madara and Zetsu ran towards their respective opponents at the exact same time. A second later, Zetsu had been split in half by Bee's gut punch, and Madara had been thrown into the air by Ay.

Madara righted himself up midair, and signed fast as lightning, "Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!" A barrage of flames came roaring towards the ground, and engulfed the Raikage, as well as Bee and Zetsu with it. Madara landed on the ground and didn't even wait for the fire to clear out before signing again.

A few seconds later, the Raikage emerged out of the flames, unscathed. Moments later, Bee ran out, his hair on fire. He ran around trying to put it out. Finally, a Cloud ninja used a Water Style Jutsu to put it out. He thanked her and came back into the battleground. Zetsu was nowhere to be seen.

A said, "Well, I guess it's two against one again."

Madara replied stolidly, "Don't be so sure."

Just then, a hand emerged from the ground and caught Bee's leg. As he struggled to get loose, Madara finished his hand signs and shouted, "Wood Style: Wood Clone Jutsu!"

The Raikage's mouth fell open as he saw a clone of Madara emerge from the ground. 'He can perform Wood Style! That is outrageous! Only Hashirama Senju could ever perform the coveted Wood Style! Where and how did Madara learn it?'

Madara grinned under his mask, "Confused?"

Ay decided not to waste his time thinking, and began to fight again. However, this time, he found himself at a disadvantage. Madara was able to hold him off the original by using the clone for TaiJutsu, while the original was constantly wielding hand signs and performing various NinJutsus. It was only a matter of time before one of them hit him badly.

Meanwhile, Bee was unsuccessfully trying to get free of the hand which was holding him tightly in one place. 'This is not good. I need to help brother!' For once, seriousness had replaced the normally whacked out mind of Bee, and he decided to break free using the Eight Tails chakra. He channeled some of it into his leg, and the hand let go of him as though it had been burned.

Bee ran towards his brother, but found his way blocked by Zetsu once again. The black and white man began to perform hand signs and Bee wondered what he was up to now.

Zetsu intoned, "Wood Style: Four Pillar Prison Jutsu!"

Ay and Bee were dumbfounded. 'He can use Wood Style too?!' Bee narrowly avoided getting trapped within the wooden prison that had emerged right out of the ground.

Bee surmised his opponent more carefully than he was before. 'He seems to be putting up an act of carefreeness, while in reality he seems to be extremely powerful. I need to be careful. One wrong move and I'm history.'

He decided to close in and try some TaiJutsu. Fortunately for him, Zetsu was not well versed in the hand-to-hand aspect of shinobi combat, and Bee was easily able to overpower him. Zetsu retreated through the ground and emerged at a respectable distance from the Jinchuuriki.

As Bee charged towards him again, Zetsu signed, with many more handsigns than before, and shouted, "Wood Style: Smothering Binding Jutsu!" He pointed his arm out towards Bee, who stopped in a heartbeat.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen; then Zetsu's arm transformed into a tree, whose branches started shooting out towards Bee. He dodged two of them, but didn't realize that they followed him. The branches turned backwards and trapped him within them.

Ay watched in horror as the branches began to pull Bee towards Zetsu, who was slowly descending underground. He paid heavily for being distracted, as Madara sent him flying with an uppercut. He cartwheeled back into action, remembering that Bee could now take care of himself.

Bee thought, 'This isn't good. I'm no use to Ay underground. I need to get rid of this guy as quickly as possible. He seems to have a large amount of chakra, and doesn't seem to tire out quickly as well. He isn't good at TaiJutsu, and I don't know his skills in GenJutsu. The only way out seems to be to fight at close quarters, but he just goes through the ground and emerges far away. Hmm, what to do?'

Just then, a voice behind him shook him from his thoughts, 'BEE! Stop wasting time thinking! You're being pulled into the ground! Use my chakra if you have to and get yourself out!'

Bee turned around to face the Eight Tails, and said, "Thanks a lot, Eight-o! I'll do as you say, friend!" He quickly channeled the rest of the Eight Tails chakra that he used to keep with him in reserve, and fired up into the four tails demon mode. The wood around him burnt to a crisp, and Bee jumped high into the air, readying a Tailed Beast Bomb as he did.

Zetsu watched in wonder as Bee turned to face him, still in midair. Bee swallowed the Bomb, and spat it out towards the black and white man. Zetsu swallowed the lump in his mouth as he tried to think straight. 'I can't tunnel underground, that will eradicate the ground as well. I need to get out of range, but how? It's too fast! There's nothing to substitute for as well!'

Just as all hope seemed to be lost for Zetsu, Madara reached him and threw him right out of range of the bomb. Zetsu watched in horror as the ball of energy engulfed the Uchiha.

Bee landed on the ground right next to the Raikage, and the two of them watched the smoke clear, trying to anticipate what had happened. Madara's clone had stopped attacking when the original had saved Zetsu.

As the smoke and debris cleared, both A and Bee blanched, looking at Madara standing there like he hadn't just been hit by a smoldering ball of death. Then A remembered his ability to phase through things, and said, "You're lucky you can do that. Or you'd be dead ten times over by now."

Madara hopped out of the hole which had been created by the bomb, and said, "I grow tired of this fight. I came here for a one-on-one match. If you aren't giving me a fair fight, I guess it's time i finished this. SUSANO-O!"

A giant figure extended out from said Uchiha, engulfing him within it. He stood in the center of it, staring at the two tag team partners, counting down the time it would take to crap their pants.

A, however, was not impressed. He took a leap, and before Madara could react, punched the Susano-o right in the stomach. A cracking sound occurred, and Madara's Susano-o receded a level. He gasped at the strength of the Raikage, and thought, 'I hadn't expected this. He's really capable of holding up against me.' He instructed his clone to fight Bee; he couldn't handle the two of them at the same time in his current strength.

As the clone charged towards the Jinchuuriki, Madara channeled more chakra into his Susano-o, bringing it back to full strength. It looked like a samurai now. Madara pulled out a Susano-o sword from its sheath, and sliced at the Raikage.

The Fourth barely managed to jump out of the way as the sword sliced through an entire hill behind him. He stood up again, wondering how he was going to fight against this. 'I've cracked it before, so I know that it's not indestructible. Now it's just a matter of dodging his attacks and inflicting my own.'

His lightning armor, which had been dwindling for a while, regenerated, and Ay began to run directly towards the Susano-o.

'A direct attack? He must be a fool,' Madara thought, as he brought his hand forward in a punch towards the Raikage. Ay, however, showed that he wasn't the fastest shinobi in the living world without reason. He jumped right over the hand, and continued running atop the arm of the Susano-o, heading towards Madara.

'I see. He wants to pummel me in order to stop the Susano-o. Too bad that's not going to work.' Madara jumped into the air, unbalancing the Raikage, and making him hold on to the Susano-o's arm for dear life.

As Madara landed, he dropped his sword from his other hand and brought it out to catch the Raikage. Ay struggled as Madara started pressing his hand closer and closer.

The Raikage heard a few of his ribs crack from the pressure being exerted on them, and let out a bellow of pain as well as fury.

Bee, on the other hand, had taken out his swords in order to face the clone of the Uchiha. He was gaining an advantage over the clone, who was unable to avoid the multiple swords. In one of his final moves, Bee danced around the clone, inflicting several wounds in quick succession.

The clone turned back to wood and melted to the ground. Bee was just about to celebrate his victory when he heard the Raikage's yell. He looked at the Susano-o crushing his brother, and rage boiled through him. He went inside his psyche, and looked at the Eight Tails.

The Hachibi said, 'No need to ask. Do it already.'

Bee nodded, and put his hands together. Outside his psyche, Bee transformed into the Eight Tails. He bellowed loudly and charged right at the Susano-o.

Madara saw him coming, but wasn't unable to fully dodge in time. Bee's punch caught him in the sternum, sending him back staggering. His hand opened up and the Raikage began to fall to the ground. Bee caught him in one of his tails and set him to the ground.

Madara's Susano-o receded back to the robe mode, and he panted from the effort of holding it there, or it most certainly would have gone back to the skeletal mode. 'How is it that a single punch could take out so much from a Susano-o?'

Ay was barely breathing, but at least he was alive. Bee took a quick look at him, and gauged that he would be fine for a while. He got up and faced the Uchiha.

The two of them faced off, giants in a world of small humans. Madara charged, and swung a punch at Bee, who caught it with his tail. Bee turned around at superhuman speed, flinging Madara around with him. He let go of Madara at the apex of his throw, causing the Uchiha to go flying, and crash into a mountain. The Susano-o receded back to the skeletal form, and Madara decided that it was no use sustaining it now.

He got rid of the Susano-o and began to wonder what would work against the Jinchuuriki. After all, that was the main prize he was after.

'I can do what Hashirama Senju used to do all those years ago. Thank God for his cells. Where would I be without them?' He signed as he ran back towards Bee.

As he reached Bee, he dodged the Jinchuuriki's attacks, and held out his palm at him, roaring, "Hokage Style; Sixty Year Old Technique: Kakuan Nitten Suishu!"

Ten giant wooden pillars erupted around Bee, who couldn't get out in time. He was trapped within the pillars, and Madara quickly got in, tapping him with his palm. Bee noticed a kanji on Madara's hand, reading, 'Sit.'

As Madara kept his palm trained on Bee, he felt his Tailed Beast chakra fading away. He tried to keep himself in Tailed Beast form, but was unable to sustain it without the enormous amount of chakra required to do so.

A few moments later, Bee was himself again, sitting between the pillars, panting. "What… what did you do to me?"

Madara replied calmly, "I extracted the chakra which you were using to sustain the Tailed Beast Transformation, of course." He ended his jutsu, causing the pillars to disappear.

Bee tried to stand, but found himself exhausted, and out of chakra. He collapsed and fell unconscious. Far away, Ay got up, sensing Bee's chakra lower. He looked at Madara, who was now busy tying up Bee.

Ay flew into a temper, and charged at Madara, forgetting all his broken bones in a fit of anger. Madara looked back at him, and dodged the punch aimed at his face, quickly pulling out a kunai at the same time. He turned the Raikage's momentum over to his side, as he slit the man's left arm off in one fluid strike.

Ay roared in pain, and aimed another punch to the Uchiha's mask. Madara took the punch, which gave him an opportunity to strike again. Ay took a deep gash in his chest, but didn't seem to mind in the slightest. 'He doesn't seem to be phasing through objects anymore. Is his chakra lowering?'

As he continued to attack, Madara slipped backwards, going on the defensive. He watched and waited for the right moment to attack, but it didn't seem likely to come soon. Ay seemed to be in an element of his own right now, with all the pain in the world not seeming to bother him, his bloodlust conquering his own willpower.

Suddenly, Ay tripped. As he tried to fathom what had happened, he saw a hand sticking out of the ground. It was Zetsu, once again.

Madara took the single opportunity he had, and stuck his kunai right into the Raikage's throat.

Torrents of blood flooded out from the neck of the Raikage as he tried and failed to get the kunai out of his neck. Madara sighed and pulled out the kunai himself, before wiping it on the Raikage's pants. Ay tried to stem the flow of blood with his hand, but it was too late. The damage had been done. The challenge was over. The Raikage had been defeated. Ay collapsed to the ground, and died a silent death.

Madara looked around, noticing the crowd of shinobi standing in horror for the first time. He put his foot on the body of the Raikage and said, "I win. I am now the Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village. Any of you who oppose me will be shown no mercy. Is there anyone who would oppose me?"

No sound came from the shinobi, so Madara began walking towards Bee, and said, "You're mine now, Hachibi." Zetsu emerged from the ground, and watched as Madara finished tying up the Jinchuuriki. He said, "What's next?"

Madara looked back at him and replied, "I have no idea myself, actually. Let's just relax for a while, shall we?"

Zetsu smiled. Madara continued, "You have my thanks for the help you supplied me with today, Zetsu." He inclined his head to the plant like shinobi, who bowed in return.

The Uchiha stored Bee's body in a scroll, and pocketed it, before beginning to walk towards the village that he now led. All the shinobi followed him silently, except for a few, who stayed back to handle the Raikage's body. Madara looked back at them and said, "If you do not wish to follow me, leave the village right now. I shall not tolerate insubordination."

Darui, Omoi, Karui, Samui and a select few others nodded. They picked up the Raikage's body, and began moving it away from the village. The rest of the shinobi returned, as did Madara and Zetsu.

A few minutes later, Madara stared outside the giant windows of his new office. "This is a good base of operations. I can't believe I let this opportunity slide all those years ago. I could have been the leader of this village all this time. Well, no matter. I've got this village in my control now, and that's what matters."

The cloud shinobi looked at Darui. He said, "Anyone here who is skilled in FuinJutsu?" One of them raised her hand, and Darui continued, "Store the Raikage's body in a scroll. We are heading towards the Land of Fire."

Everyone gasped. He looked out into the sky, thinking, 'Lady Tsunade. You're the only one who can help us right now.' The motley group of shinobi began walking towards the Land of Fire, when all of a sudden, they hear a cough. Darui stared wide-eyed at…

"Bee?!"

The Jinchuuriki of the Eight Tails propped himself up on one hand, but fell to the ground, unable to muster any strength. Darui went and helped him up quickly, asking, "How on earth are you here? I saw Madara tie you up and seal you into a scroll!"

Bee whispered, "I used one of Hachibi's special techniques, an Ink Clone, to substitute myself. It took the last of chakra that I had left, and I passed out. Where is brother?"

Everyone was silent. Bee looked at Darui, who hung his head.

"I see."

Darui said, "We're heading to the Land of Fire, to ask for help from Tsunade-sama. Will you come along?"

He gave Bee a shoulder, and Bee replied, "Doesn't look like I have a choice, yo." A tear escaped from underneath his glasses. The now rogue Cloud ninjas continued journeying towards the Land of Fire, wondering what lay in store for them.


	48. Chapter 48: Naruto's Request

**Author's Note: Hey, what is up guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you today. It's main focus is dealing with Hinata's crush on Naruto, and I know it could have been better, but honestly, I don't like Hinata, so I kept it as short as I could while trying not to sacrifice quality. All Hinata fans, sorry, but every author has his/her own opinions. Also, now that the Raikage is dead, I began writing that segment and found out that I couldn't do a lot with Hinata's saga. So I decided incorporate the Raikage issue into this chapter. Next chapter will probably come in this month itself, but don't wait on it. Hope you guys enjoy, thank you all for the support, and Happy Reading!**

**Chapter 48: Naruto's Request; Hinata's Treachery**

**Present Day…**

"Hey Ino, I have a request."

Ino looked up from her scroll towards Naruto, who had been busy reading a scroll of his own. "What is it, Naruto?"

The boy said, "I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I've seen you perform quite well in Earth Style Jutsus. So I was wondering if you could teach me something or the other in Earth Style so that I could branch out my list of Jutsus even more. It'll really give me an edge when I appear for the Jonin Trials."

Ino smiled at the boy's determination, and said, "I don't think it would matter either way, Naruto. You can already perform Wind and Lightning Style jutsus wonderfully. And you do have a basic knowledge of Earth Style as well. I'd rate you at Jonin level even as you are right now."

Naruto shook his head, "I know that, Ino. But the Earth jutsus I know barely cause any damage. They are mostly support jutsus. I need some good offensive techniques that will cause tremendous damage."

Ino frowned. 'He already has an arsenal of jutsus that would make the five Kages shiver. What could be going on in his mind? Never mind. If he wants to improve, who am I to stop him?' She nodded and replied, "Alright, Naruto-kun, starting tomorrow, I'll train you in mastering Earth Style."

"Yosh!"

Naruto jogged over to the training ground alongside Ino, loving the feeling of the cool morning air on his skin. They reached the ground in no time, and began warming up. Once Naruto was done with his warm ups, he waited for Ino to finish up.

"So, what jutsu is on the menu today, Ino?"

Ino replied casually, "You'll see soon enough. First of all, I need to know what jutsus you've already learnt."

"Well, I know the Earth Style: Stone Jacket Jutsu and the Stone Claws Jutsu."

"Not a bad start. Stone Claws are effective at medium range."

"Yeah, but they take too much time, and the enemy can easily dodge them if they are aware of the jutsu."

Ino nodded at Naruto's understanding of the limitations of the jutsu. She said, "Well, what about starting with your favorite type of jutsu? Let's try the Earth Style: Mud Clone Jutsu." The knucklehead grinned.

Around half of the day had passed when Naruto finally managed to create an earth style Mud Clone. Ino tested it and was impressed. "It's very stable, Naruto. How much chakra did you put into it?"

Naruto replied, "Around one twentieth of my chakra."

Ino's eyes shot up in surprise. "One twentieth? That's it?"

"Yeah, why? Is there something wrong?"

Ino wondered what the result would be if Naruto had put half his chakra into the clone. 'Earth Style Clones are known for their tenacity and ability to revert back to their regular form after being hit. I know for certain that if Naruto makes his clone half as strong as he is, it could easily substitute itself for a Chunin level ninja with ease. But if he's saying that one twentieth of his chakra could yield a clone as strong as this? That's amazing!'

Naruto snapped his fingers in front of Ino's face. "Earth to Ino!" The platinum blonde snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. "Just wondering how strong your clones would be if you had split half your chakra."

Naruto replied, "I contemplated that at the beginning, but since this jutsu is new to me, I decided not to take any chances. After all, Earth Style isn't really my strong suit, not just yet anyway."

Ino decided to test the strength of the clone. She quickly summoned up a half-strength Rasengan and hit the clone with it. It sank into a puddle of mud.

"Hmm…" As she turned to face Naruto, a sudden movement from the corner of her right eye compelled her to look behind. She turned around and was amazed to see Naruto's clone reforming itself.

"Amazing! It wasn't destroyed by a Rasengan?!"

The clone grinned and said, "If it had been a full power Rasengan, I probably would've been a goner."

"I see. That is incredible."

Naruto dispelled his clone and looked at Ino, asking, "What's next? I still have plenty of chakra. I could probably learn another jutsu today, although I'm not sure I could master it." Ino scratched her head, before snapping her fingers. "I've got a good one. Remember how you always need me to clean up the damage you make to the training grounds? Well, I'll just teach you the Earth Style: Landslide Jutsu!"

"All right!"

* * *

Tsunade looked out over the village from the roof of the Ninja Ops. Just then, a wind rustled up next to her and she smiled. "You just can't resist showing off, can you?"

Jiraiya smiled and said, "You know me."

The two of them stood silently for a while, admiring the view. Suddenly, Tsunade turned around to the sage and said with a small smile, "You know, I've always wondered about one thing. What would have happened if I'd gone out with you when you first asked me? Would we be married today?"

Jiraiya said, "That's a weird question. What's got into you all of a sudden?"

Tsunade looked back outwards, and sighed. "I just don't want to leave this world with any regrets. You know, going without knowing what life could have been if it hadn't turned out this way."

Jiraiya put his hand on her shoulder, and said, "I guess I know what you mean, Tsuna. However, our life wasn't as easy as it is nowadays. We sacrificed everything for the village, and are still doing so. It's just the way it is."

Tsunade turned towards him again, and he saw the shadow of a smile flicker across her face. He smiled broadly, and said, "And if you want, I could still marry you today!"

Tsunade snorted, "I don't think I need that anymore. Let's just be the way we are. Marrying, having kids, retiring…those are things for the next generation to consider. Let's just watch over them for now."

But as she said it, Tsunade leaned up against Jiraiya's chest, and said, "Although, I wouldn't really mind if we shared a moment like this occasionally." The man rested his head against hers and said, "Don't you worry, Tsuna. I have no plans to stay away from you. You are the only one I have left now, after all."

Anyone who would look at the two of them would smile at the perfect sight of the sun setting in front of them, while the two of them just stood there, soaking in the peaceful view.

* * *

"Bye Dad, I'll see you soon."

"G'bye, sweetheart."

Ino walked out of her parents' house, and headed to her new home. Naruto had finally gotten his own compound rebuilt, and had a ton of new improvements made to it. He had also used a handy FuinJutsu that made the compound absolutely invisible to everyone but those who knew where Naruto lived, or those who Naruto himself allowed in.

As Ino walked towards the new house, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. It had started a day after her birthday, but she had never found anyone. 'Should I ask Naruto to check around? No, that would be so weak of me. I'm capable enough of dealing with this on my own.'

Ino decided to take a page out of Naruto's book, and turned a corner before splitting off a Shadow Clone, and quickly jumped onto a building. The clone walked towards home, and Ino narrowed her eyes, as she saw…

'Hinata? What in the world?'

She decided to see what was going on and summoned another clone before dispelling it, giving the first clone instructions to head towards a training field. The clone changed its path accordingly, and Hinata followed it directly into the training field.

As Ino's clone stopped, Hinata's fists suddenly became bright, burning with blue chakra. Ino's eyes widened as she saw it, 'She's actually planning to use the Jyuuken on me? I don't believe it!'

Ino's clone turned around just in time to see Hinata's Twin Lion Fists hit her right in the stomach. The clone collapsed and was dispelled. Ino couldn't believe her eyes. Hinata looked around in confusion, and Ino decided to see what wheels were spinning in Hinata's head.

From her hiding spot, she decided to summon another clone, out in the open. She intoned silently, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

A clone emerged out from the smoke and Ino panted slightly, not having the large reserves of chakra that Naruto did. Hinata stared at the clone, and said, "Stop the games, Ino. Enough with the clones. Come out."

Ino's eyes widened, and she thought, 'Oh yeah, looks like she's using the Byakugan. Well, at least I can still get the drop on her.' As the clone began walking towards Hinata, Ino carefully lined her hands in sight with Hinata, and made her trademark hand sign. Hinata didn't move, which was fortunate, as Ino intoned, "Ninja Arts: Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Ino's body slumped to the ground as her mind conquered Hinata's. Ino's clone headed towards the original's body to guard it. Ino began looking into the recent thoughts of Hinata. What she found really horrified her.

She pulled herself out of Hinata's mind and back into her body. "I can't believe that Hinata would be capable of doing something like that." The clone looked at her enquiringly, and Ino shook her head in sadness.

'I knew that she would be hurt, but this? It's impossible!'

Hinata came to and stood up shakily, as Ino walked towards her. She took one look at the platinum blonde and the color in her face rose, as she angrily activated her Byakugan again.

Ino said sadly, "Do you love him so much? That you would kill one of your friends in order to get him?" Hinata blinked, before realizing what Ino must have done. She stared silently at Ino, who continued, "I know that you've always had a huge crush on Naruto, Hinata. But I never really thought that the shy person that you are would become a killer kunoichi in order to obtain him."

Hinata began shaking, and Ino pursued, "Naruto has never known true love before. He lost his parents when he was a mere child, and has grown up without any friends. He finally found friendship for the first time in Iruka-sensei. You had so many chances to help him out, but you never budged. Maybe it was that streak of shyness in you, but you waited for too long."

"SHUT UP."

Ino blinked, as Hinata's Byakugan began to glow. 'What is this?' Ino thought. Suddenly Hinata's eyes turned silver in color, and Ino thought, 'This is something new. I've never seen her eyes go like this before.'

Hinata spoke again, and Ino shivered slightly at the coldness in her voice, "What would you know about Naruto? You've never even shown him the slightest bit of kindness when he was a child. I was the only one who ever liked him, ever since he was little. Because I saw the determination in him like no one ever did. Everyone expected him to fail in everything that he did, while I was the one who silently cheered him on. I was the only one who saw him for what he truly is, a boy who never gives up, no matter what."

Ino replied, "That is true, Hinata. And I respect you for that. But you remained silent for way too long, didn't you? And because of that, you lost your chance. You could have confessed your feelings for him a long time ago, but you stayed in the shadows, and let him be taken away from you. I've always meant to talk to you about this, but what you did today was horrifying."

Hinata's hands began to burn blue again, and Ino said, "I love Naruto, Hinata. And he loves me equally. If you really have such strong feelings for him, think about how he would feel if something were to happen to me."

Hinata froze. She looked down at her feet, and Ino said, "I know that sometimes our feelings can get the better of us. But planning to kill one of your friends, and a fellow Leaf ninja because of that? Even thinking of such a thing is unimaginable. I wonder what Naruto would think of you if he ever understood that you murdered me simply because you love him."

A tear dropped from Hinata's left eye. Ino continued, in a lower and kinder voice, "I know I haven't been a good friend to you, Hinata. I stole the love of your life from you, and for that I truly am sorry. But there are some things in life that you just have to face. Look at Kiba, for instance."

Hinata looked up in surprise at Kiba's name. Ino continued, "You've been in love with Naruto for so long that you've probably never even noticed how crazy Kiba is for you."

Seeing the look of shock on Hinata's face, Ino felt bolstered, and kept on going, "He's always been infatuated with you, ever since we were at the academy. Now, I know that he's the complete opposite of you. You're shy and silent; he's brash and loudmouthed. You're unsure of your abilities, even when you're winning; he's confident of himself even when he's losing."

Ino walked towards Hinata and put her arms on her shoulders, before saying, "And that's why the two of you will be perfect together. After all, opposites attract, don't they?" A waterfall of tears began to emerge from Hinata's eyes, and Ino said, "Come on, Hinata. Give Kiba a chance. I daresay you'll find him a better choice than Naruto if you try."

But it seemed that Ino finally said something wrong. Hinata's eyes flared and Ino's clone sensed trouble. It quickly substituted itself for the original, as Hinata roared, "Eight Trigrams: Thirty Two Palms!"

Each of the clone's chakra points were blocked in mere seconds, and it fell to the ground, before being disappearing. Hinata hissed, "Don't ever compare my Naruto-kun to anyone else."

Ino paled at the vicious voice. 'Well, I tried.' She said, "Are you going to fight me, Hinata. Is that what you want?"

Hinata didn't answer, but her eyes widened, and shone silver. Ino looked nervous at that, and thought, 'I thought the Byakugan was white. Why is hers silver?'

She readied herself, and Hinata charged at her. Ino was amazed at her speed, and barely dodged her first attack. The two of them began fighting in earnest, and Ino found herself incapable of dodging the Gentle Fist attacks that were being sent her way. Hinata managed to shut down thirteen of her chakra points in quick succession. Ino jumped up, trying to get some space between herself and the Hyuga heiress, but Hinata quickly aimed her palm at the blonde and shouted, "Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"

Ino barely managed to cross her arms in front of her body as the blast from Hinata sent her flying backwards into the trees which surrounded the training field. She managed to right herself just in time and landed on a branch, before surmising the situation. Her arms had been completely grazed by the attack. She quickly healed them, before wondering how things had gone so bad.

'If this keeps up for much longer, I'm going to be in trouble.' She waited there, wondering what Hinata was up to now. It quickly became apparent, as the purple haired kunoichi charged into the trees and jumped up towards Ino. The blonde dropped down quickly and retreated out into the open, knowing that she couldn't hide from the Byakugan now that Hinata knew where she was.

The two of them faced off in the field again, and Ino tried to talk her way out once again, "Hinata, stop this madness. You were not, and never will be, a killer."

Hinata had a deranged look on her face, "And you were once my friend, not a person who stole my love. Things change."

Ino shook her head in disappointment and sadness, and Hinata charged at her again. This time, Ino was ready, and she quickly intoned, "Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

Hinata's palm connected directly with the mud wall, and it immediately cracked, but did not fall. Hinata pressed the attack, and the wall finally gave way. Hinata charged through the wall, right into Ino's fist.

Ino's knuckled met Hinata's forehead, and the Hyuga flew back a hundred meters. Ino healed her knuckles, thinking, 'Wow, her forehead's as hard as Sakura's.'

Hinata got up hazily, trying to shake the ringing out of her head, and smirked. Ino was confused, and said, "Why are you smirking like that?" Hinata replied, "It seems that you've finally understood that you're fighting for your life here."

Ino cried out in frustration, "What is wrong with you? Where's the Hinata that I knew? The one who cared for all of her classmates and friends, the one who would give her life for them?"

Hinata said madly, "SHE'S DEAD! I KILLED HER MYSELF! It's time to show the world what can happen when a person's love is taken from them!"

Ino was getting angry now. It had been a while since she had gotten this mad. She clenched her fists, and a bluish aura began to surround her. "Hinata, I'm telling you this for the last time. Stop this madness, before one of us gets seriously hurt. Naruto and I are together, and nothing is going to change that. I've already told you, you were too late."

Hinata whispered with a wicked smile, "Better late than never." She charged again, probably not noticing the chakra that Ino was radiating. The blonde had gotten so angry that she had totally lost all sense of friendship. 'This has officially, gone too far.'

She waited until Hinata was close enough, and substituted herself for a stone. Hinata's palm hit the stone so hard that it was completely crushed into pieces. Ino signed at a speed that would make Kakashi proud, and said, "Earth Style: Mud River!"

The ground around Hinata turned into a brown sludge, and she struggled to get out of it. Meanwhile, Ino wondered what to do. She decided that the best bet would be the new jutsu her father had taught her. 'It's the only way I can get her normal again, but it will come at a price. I hope it works, though. Here goes nothing!'

Ino began signing slowly, building up her chakra, as Hinata began to get out of the swamp the blonde had created. As the Hyuga began running to attack again, Ino held out her palms in a variation of her Mind Transfer jutsu hand sign, and cried, "Ninja Arts Forbidden Jutsu: Memory Replacement Technique!"

Hinata froze into place as Ino entered her mind again, but this time, the jutsu was different. Ino perused Hinata's thoughts again, but this time, searched for the area where Hinata had begun to like Naruto. Finding it took some time, as Hinata's fondness for the knucklehead stretched way back.

Once Ino found the first memory of Hinata looking at Naruto, she quickly used her jutsu to replace the image of Naruto with that of Kiba. 'I am sorry, Hinata, but I have to do this. Maybe you will find happiness with Kiba rather than rotting in jail for attacking a fellow Leaf ninja.'

Ino returned to her body, sweating all over. The jutsu was one of the most advanced techniques she knew, and took a lot of chakra. She had already been running low because of the Shadow Clones, but this jutsu made the end result a lot worse. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath.

Hinata had hit the floor when Ino left her body, and she did not stir. Ino wondered whether her jutsu had caused some side effect. She tried to remember what her father had told her about the jutsu.

'_Remember, Ino, this jutsu is one of the secret NinJutsus of the Yamanaka clan for a good reason. Using the basic principle of the Mind Transfer, we enter the victim's mind, and search for memories related to what we wish to change. Then, finding the root of those memories, we alter them as we see fit. Once that is done, all memories linked to that one will automatically be altered as well. Also, if the victim on who the jutsu is being used knows the second person who is being used to replace the first, then the memories of the first person will be completely erased from the victim's mind. Now, destroying a memory isn't that tough, but to alter a memory takes a giant amount of skill and a generally large amount of chakra to match. This technique has only been mastered by a few of the Yamanakas, and I must say, if you cannot master it, I will not be able to pass the leadership of the clan into your hands. Are you sure you are up to this task?'_

Ino walked shakily over to Hinata, although her legs felt like they were made of lead, and saw her breathing shallowly. It looked like the mind invasion had taken a toll on the purple haired kunoichi. She had her eyes closed, and the veins around her eyes had receded. Ino put her hands to the girl's chest, gauging whether she was going to be okay. 'Her heart seems to be functioning normally. Perhaps exhaustion is one of the effects that the victim suffers from after being attacked by this jutsu. To think nothing of the exhaustion I'm facing.'

She began to try healing the Hyuga, but her own chakra reserves were too depleted to continue. She sat back, puffing heavily and thought, 'I guess I should just wait for her to come to. I can't take her to the hospital, everyone will wonder what happened to her. She's from a famous clan too, so if anyone found out what I've done to her, I might as well be hanged for treason.'

About twenty minutes later, Hinata's right hand shook. A faint moan escaped her mouth as she opened her eyes slowly. She looked around to see Ino sitting next to her. Hinata sat up slowly, clutching her head in pain, and said, "What happened, Ino? Why am I here? And what are you doing here as well?"

Ino heaved a silent sigh of relief, 'It worked. She doesn't remember anything about what just happened between us.'

She lied casually, "You were training here, and pushed yourself too hard. Thank God I was nearby, and saw you in the field. I was able to heal your wounds a bit. But you should see a doctor."

Hinata stood up groggily, and Ino supported her.

"Thank you, Ino. I guess I should go to the hospital and get myself checked out."

Ino nodded, and said, "I think Shizune will be able to patch you right up. Don't worry." She decided to test Hinata's memory out, and said, "Hey Hinata, by the way, have you seen Kiba around?"

Hinata blushed immediately, and murmured that she hadn't. Ino's eyes gleamed in delight and happiness. She continued, "What about Naruto?"

Hinata looked confused, before saying, "That boy in the orange jumpsuit who keeps fooling around? No, I haven't seen him in a while."

'BINGO! She doesn't remember her crush on him, so all her memories of him are only up to the point where she barely knew him. Everything after that has been erased. Also, the way she blushed when I talked about Kiba makes it a hundred percent sure that my jutsu worked perfectly. It replaced her crush for Naruto with Kiba. Aww man, if only I could tell Dad that I performed the jutsu successfully! Dammit!'

The two of them headed to the hospital, talking normally, as though Hinata hadn't just tried to kill Ino.

* * *

"HALT!"

The Cloud ninjas looked around to find themselves surrounded by shinobi. They were led by Genma. He came forward and said, "You are trespassing. What is your purpose here?"

Darui came forward and introduced himself. He then took out the scroll he had in his pocket and channeled his chakra into it, showing the shinobi what was held within. The Leaf ninja said, "Impossible!"

Darui hung his head and said, "We would have thought the same if we hadn't seen it with our own eyes." Genma turned back towards his colleagues. One of them was a Hyuga. Genma nodded slightly, and the Hyuga immediately activated the Byakugan. He scanned the body thoroughly and nodded towards the Leaf squadron leader.

Once Genma had got confirmation, he quickly pulled out his cellular and called up the Hokage.

"What is it, Genma?"

"We have an urgent situation, Ma'am. One moment." He handed over the cellular to Darui, who quickly spoke up, "Hello, Lady Hokage. This is Darui from the Hidden Cloud Village. I know that our villages haven't been on best of terms, but I need your help. The Raikage has been murdered."

Tsunade replied, "Yes, I am aware of it. I was actually expecting someone to show up sooner or later." Darui quickly said, "We need permission to enter the village."

"Come on in. Give it to Genma."

The Cloud temporary leader handed the cell over to Genma. Tsunade said, "Get them to the Ninja Ops basement ASAP. And make sure no one knows of their arrival. Ask them to disguise themselves, and haul ass here right now!"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Genma relayed the news to the rest of the group, and the Cloud ninjas disguised themselves as part of the group of Leaf shinobi. They trooped towards the Leaf village.

Tsunade was waiting for the group of shinobi in one of the interrogation rooms of the Ninja Ops. Darui came in and dispelled his transformation jutsu. Tsunade indicated for him to sit.

"Did you come alone?"

"No, some of the ninjas faithful to the Raikage are with me. I had them wait outside so that I could talk to you in private."

Tsunade said, "Where's the body?"

Darui produced the scroll once again, and revealed the Raikage. Tsunade said, "I never would have imagined it by myself. What about the Eight Tails? Is he alright? I got information that the Raikage was killed by the Akatsuki."

Darui nodded gravely, "More precisely, Uchiha Madara."

Tsunade grimaced, "That ninja has been more trouble to the shinobi world than it is worth. I still don't know how he was able to live after my grandfather defeated him. But you didn't answer my first question."

"Bee-sama is alright, although he is exhausted. He was able to escape Madara by performing a unique jutsu of his Tailed Beast. He's with the rest of the group, waiting outside."

"Very well. I shall need some time to gather more information and all the clan leaders in the village will also need to be informed. Come with me, I shall direct you to a place to stay. Ensure that you keep up your disguises, though, I don't want any mention of Cloud shinobi running through the Leaf village."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade dialed up a number on her cellular.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Konan. I need to speak to you and Nagato. Are the two of you at home?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. When should we be expecting you?"

"In around a half hour or so."

"Will do."

Tsunade cut the call and escorted the group of Cloud shinobi towards the newly constructed barracks. She said, "I'm sorry, but we still haven't fully recovered from the invasion by the Akatsuki. That is why I must ask you to stay in the barracks."

Darui smiled slightly, "We are used to roughing it, Hokage-sama. The Raikage was not really a great fan of luxurious living."

Tsunade flashed a smile in return and said, "Very well. You can choose the rooms which you want, as most of them are empty at the moment. I shall leave you to it. And by the way, I must inform you that you are being watched by the ANBU, so that if you try something crazy, you shall die."

Darui said, "I expected as much. I would have been surprised if you hadn't taken such measures."

Tsunade smirked and walked off.

* * *

"Greetings, Hokage-sama. Come in."

"Please, Konan. Just call me Tsunade-san."

"Alright, I shall. Kindly come in. Nagato has been wondering what is bothering you."

Tsunade entered the living room and found Nagato reading a newspaper. He seemed fully nourished and smiled at the Hokage.

Konan brought tea for the all of them and they sat comfortably on the couch. Nagato crossed his fingers together, and asked, "What business brings you here, Tsunade-sama? Am I needed for something?"

"Just a few questions, regarding the Akatsuki," Tsunade replied.

Nagato nodded slowly, and inclined that she begin. Tsunade said, "When you came here to take refuge, you explained that the Akatsuki was led by Madara Uchiha. Is that right?"

Nagato agreed, and said, "The Akatsuki, originally created by Yahiko, was manipulated by Madara into capturing the tailed beasts. We originally wanted it to be an organization that ensures peace in the small country we lived in."

Tsunade said, "Have you been informed about the recent developments in the Hidden Cloud Village?" Nagato shook his head, and Tsunade continued, "The Raikage was murdered by Uchiha Madara. He has assumed command of the village."

Nagato and Konan's eyes widened. Nagato frowned after a second, and said, "That is strange. Madara never really showed interest in conquering a hidden village when I was with him. However, it is to be expected. After I left, the only ring members in the Akatsuki would be him, Zetsu and Deidara. He certainly needs more people if he wants to carry out the plan he originally wanted done from us."

Tsunade leaned forward, and said, "This is bad, though. You may not know about the Hidden Cloud Village's rule. Any ninja who defeats the current Raikage may become the next leader of their village. Therefore, this means that the Cloud village now serves a terrorist. The entire village is compromised. Imagine the amount of damage that Madara could inflict on any of the other Hidden Villages with that amount of power."

Nagato bit his lip, thinking about it. He said, "We need to have Madara ousted from power as soon as possible. If he gains control over the cloud shinobi soon, it will be nearly impossible to defeat him, short of waging a war against the entire village."

"Exactly."

"So, what are you proposing, Tsunade-sama? Do you want me to go in? I hold no illusions of being stronger than Madara Uchiha."

"No, I am aware that you alone aren't enough. I am thinking of sending three others with you. Three people who very well could take out an entire village by themselves if they were pressed to that point."

Nagato said wisely, "I'm assuming Naruto is one of them." Tsunade smirked, and said, "That's right. I'm also thinking of putting Sasuke with him, since the two of them are almost perfectly synchronized with each other. And as for the last member, I'm thinking that Itachi would be perfect for this mission."

Nagato raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement, and said, "A deadly team, indeed. However, I must object." Tsunade frowned.

"Not against Itachi in particular. But rather against the whole team. You see, the entire team that you are sending are combat shinobi. Although Itachi and Sasuke do possess the Sharingan, giving them a GenJutsu advantage, it is not enough. We need a stealth shinobi, medical ninja, and someone who can support from far away. Madara is an expert in combat, uses a unique space-time manipulation jutsu that allowed him to slip through things, and is well versed in all five chakra elemental jutsus, as well as Wood Style."

Tsunade's eyes widened, "Wood Style? What do you mean?"

Nagato said, "Somehow, after the fight between your grandfather and him, Madara was able to acquire some cells of Hashirama Senju. He was also able to integrate them into his own body, thus giving him access to the coveted art of Wood Style."

"That scum! How dare he! This is far too horrible than I expected. To think of the amount of power he must wield at the moment is unimaginable."

Konan said, "He is also a master at using the Mangekyo Sharingan abilities."

Tsunade pursed her lips in annoyance. "I haven't given this enough thought, it seems. I wanted to get rid of this problem as fast as possible, but it looks like I shall have to arrange a proper assassination in order for this to work. No doubt Madara must already have made preparations in the Cloud Village to increase the security, in order to protect himself from any attempts to kill him."

Nagato nodded, and said, "It is highly improbable that we will be able to sneak up on him, since he has Zetsu with him."

Tsunade said, "That reminds me, who is this Zetsu? What are his abilities?"

Nagato shook his head, "It is hard to tell, since he's as mysterious as Madara himself. He is split into two parts, one is black and the other is white. For most of the part, the white part is the one who talks, and boy, does he talk. He could talk the ear off Madara if he got the chance. But he's able to use Wood Style as well, and I believe that he is a product created by Madara himself."

Tsunade sighed in disappointment. Nagato continued, "The black part, on the other hand, is the more serious side of Zetsu. It is probably the part that takes the decisions, and thinks rationally."

"Now, Zetsu is able to travel through the ground, and is able to penetrate any fortifications easily, making him a very efficient spy. However, he cannot fight well, and is not useful to Madara in battle. However, he has the ability to clone himself and turn into a copy of anyone else. The copy is so good, that it cannot be detected by any sensory jutsu. In fact, if Zetsu ever touches a person, he can immediately turn into that person and use all of the jutsus that the person could use. Imagine what would happen if Zetsu touched someone like Kakashi. The results would be catastrophic."

"Grrr…this is turning out to be too troubles…" As Tsunade said the word, she suddenly went into a trance. Nagato frowned, wondering what had gotten into her. Tsunade suddenly jumped up out of her trance and said, "That's it! How could I have forgotten about him?"

Konan asked, "Who is this person you're talking about, Lady Tsunade?"

The Hokage turned towards her with a smile, and replied, "The Leaf Village's most intelligent shinobi, Shikaku Nara. He will be able to plan an attack easily based on all the information we have. I shall need the two of you to come to the Ninja Ops later on. I'll send a message through an ANBU member. Be ready. I should get going now, I'll see you soon."

Nagato nodded slightly, and Konan escorted Tsunade outside.

As she left the house, Konan said, "Just a quick question, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade turned around. "Yes?"

"Do you really think that we can defeat this man? After all, even Hashirama Senju himself couldn't do it."

Tsunade said, "Every few years, a shinobi emerges, who is stronger than the previous generation. And look at all we have now! We have Kakashi, Itachi, Naruto, Sasuke and many others. Even Nagato, for that matter. I have no doubt that Madara's time is up."

Konan nodded and went back inside. Tsunade frowned, "I hope I'm right, though."

* * *

Naruto jumped away from the seven shuriken that had been thrown at him. He signed quickly as he tried to dodge more, and whispered, "Secret Wind Style: Impervious Wind Defense!" As his wind chakra began rotating around him in full speed, he faced his opponent head on.

Sasuke threw another set of shuriken at him, only to jump around madly, trying to dodge them all as they were deflected away from the shield back towards him. Naruto grinned, "You _are_ fast, I'll give you that."

Sasuke replied with an annoyed look, "Not as fast as you, apparently."

Naruto said, "Have you ever trained with chakra weights?"

The raven haired boy said, "Chakra weights? No, I haven't. Is it similar to what Lee does to train?" Naruto nodded, and said, "Kinda, but these weights can be reduced in weight by channeling your chakra into them."

Sasuke snorted, "What's the use of them, then, if we can reduce their weight?" Naruto held up his hand, "Lemme finish, ya know. These weights are greedy little things, and take as much chakra as you can give them. Once you're out of chakra, they prove to be tough little things to handle. You know how much chakra I have, and they are able to even drain me completely."

Sasuke stared at him in disbelief. "Are you serious, Naruto?"

The knucklehead nodded, "If you want some, I'll ask the Pervy Sage to get them for you. I'm not sure if you're up to that kind of training, though."

Sasuke replied, "And why would you think that I'm not up to this kind of training?" Naruto shrugged, "You've always been an elite shinobi, after all. For starters, I've had to work my ass off just to achieve the speed that you attained years ago at the Chunin exams."

The raven haired ninja said, "Well, it wasn't all that easy for me either, was it? I was trained by Kakashi. He is one of the toughest teachers in the world. He exhausted me almost every day, in order to learn the moves that he picked up from Lee. He knew that it was the only thing that would give me a chance to learn the Chidori, as well as attack Gaara without being blocked by his sand."

Naruto nodded, "There's that, but I was talking about the Sharingan. You have natural talent, being born into one of the most powerful clans in the world."

Sasuke nodded slightly, replying, "That is true, I guess. I have no doubt that I wouldn't be half as powerful as I am right now if it weren't for the Sharingan. But then, you don't have it, and you're still stronger than me. So it doesn't really matter all that much."

The blonde bit his lip, and suddenly said, "I used to wonder what would have happened if I had approached you when you were sitting by the docks by yourself. Ya know, after the whole Uchiha incident was over. I wonder how things would have been different if I hadn't just walked past you at that time."

Sasuke walked over to him and held out his hand. Naruto clasped it and Sasuke said, "Let the past be. Better late than never." Naruto nodded, replying, "We're now part of Konoha's future, and we need to protect it with all our heart."

Then he said, "Alright, that's enough talk. Let's see how Orochimaru trained you in regards to TaiJutsu!"

Sasuke readied himself as the blonde knucklehead charged at him. Naruto swung a hard right cross at the former rogue ninja, knowing that he would dodge it easily. He followed it up with a left thrust kick, forcing Sasuke to jump back. Naruto began a flurry of TaiJutsu which even Sasuke was unable to keep up with.

The Uchiha awakened his Sharingan and began reading Naruto's moves. Naruto immediately stopped his Iron Monk style and moved his stance towards Frog Kumite, knowing that Sasuke wouldn't be able to copy that. Sasuke noticed the change in his stance and asked, "What's the matter?"

Naruto replied sheepishly, "I don't want you to record those moves of mine. They are part of a technique I don't like to share with others." Sasuke understood and gave Naruto a thumbs up. "Alright, I get it. But I can't really fight you without the Sharingan, you're just way too fast. I can't anticipate your moves if I don't have it activated."

Naruto cracked his neck and said, "Not to worry, I'll use Frog Kumite now. You can't copy these moves, since you need to be a Sage to understand the full potential of this form of TaiJutsu."

Sasuke nodded, before charging towards Naruto. He quickly dispatched a quartet of shurikens, which Naruto was able to dance away from, and then jabbed towards the blonde's heart. Naruto quickly blocked the hand and caught it, pulling the Uchiha towards him. Sasuke hadn't expected that, but was able to read the next attack. He swung underneath Naruto's punch, and prepared to kick the Uzumaki in the stomach. However, Naruto had other plans.

Sasuke's kick was blocked by the blonde, who caught Sasuke's leg and twisted him around in midair. Sasuke quickly kicked out with his other leg, more to get room from Naruto rather than to inflict damage. Naruto instinctively let go of Sasuke's leg to dodge the other kick, and Sasuke landed on his left foot, before swinging out his right leg into a full roundabout kick.

Naruto ducked underneath the kick and swung his right palm out towards the Uchiha's solar plexus. Sasuke pushed Naruto's hand up, trying to jab at the knucklehead's solar plexus in return, but Naruto was able to block it with his left hand. The two of them jumped back and assessed each other again. Neither had been marked even once in the entire spar.

"I guess we know each other too well, huh?" Naruto remarked lightly.

Sasuke grinned, "I guess so. Well, it's only a matter of time before one of us gains an advantage. And seeing the spar so far, I'd say that the scale is tipped in your favor."

"Don't be like that, Sasuke. You've never lost confidence in yourself ever since you were a child. Why start now? Just keep on training and I'm sure that you can surpass me yet again. After all, it was you who inspired me to surpass you, ya know?"

"That's an interesting way to put it, yeah. And don't worry, I don't plan on being second to you any time soon."

"What about fighting together against someone else instead?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto in confusion. "Who do you have in mind?"

Naruto replied, "Kakashi and Gai Sensei."

* * *

Tsunade called up Shikaku. As usual, his cellular was switched off. A vein pulsed in Tsunade's head and she turned to Shizune. "Be a dear and get Shikaku here right now. And inform him to come with a heavy armored jacket, since I'm going to punch him right in the gut the moment he gets here."

Shizune looked at her in alarm, and said, "Are you serious?"

Tsunade smiled poisonously, and Shizune practically ran out of the room. She quickly called up Shikamaru, who luckily had his phone on.

"Shikamaru? This is Shizune. Do you know where your father is? Tsunade-sama tried to call him, but wasn't able to reach him. She's furious."

Shikamaru sighed, "What a drag. Alright, I'll tell him to come to the Ninja Ops right away."

He cut the call before Shizune could tell him about the armored jacket. She thought, "Tsunade-sama wouldn't really, would she?"

Shikamaru walked home lazily, yawning as he did. 'This is totally a drag. I know Dad hates taking a phone call, but he should really keep his cell on, at least. Now I gotta go home to tell him that Lady Tsunade needs him. Then if he's not at home, I need to find him. This is all too troublesome.'

Shikamaru reached home and knocked on the door. A yawn was heard inside, before the door opened, revealing a puffy eyed Shikaku Nara. "What is it, Shika? I told you not to bother me while I'm taking a nap."

Shikamaru said, "I know, Dad, but Lady Hokage was trying to call you. She couldn't contact you directly, so she told me to find you instead. From Shizune's nervous tone, it sounded like the Hokage was in a pretty bad mood, too. I'd hurry there if I were you."

Shikaku was wide awake in an instant. He quickly washed his face, and put on his strongest flak jacket, all in a matter of seconds. As Shikamaru watched, Shikaku literally shunshined out of the house. The younger Nara was left inside, his left eye twitching. 'Maybe I should use Lady Tsunade's name more often to get him to do the stuff he just keeps putting off."

Shikaku said his prayers and entered the Hokage's office. "You summoned me, Lady Tsunade?"

Tsunade turned towards him with an icy stare. "You're lucky I need you, or you'd be breathing your last right now, you lazy bum. I need your brains."

Shikaku laughed nervously. "Anything wrong?"

Tsunade nodded. "Come with me."

The two of them headed out. Shikaku wondered where they were going, and it soon became apparent, as Tsunade headed towards the barracks. Shikaku scratched the back of his neck, wondering what business Tsunade had here.

The Hokage knocked on a door, and a seemingly Leaf shinobi opened it. He let them in, and then closed the door, before dropping the illusion. Shikaku stared at Darui of the Hidden Cloud village.

"Milady, this is…"

"He's here to ask us for help."

Darui recounted his tale to Shikaku, who listened in amazement, and a little bit of nervousness. When he was done, all that Shikaku could say was, "Incredible."

Tsunade said, "What do you think, Shikaku? What could be done to get rid of Madara?"

The lazy shinobi turned towards her and said, "Frankly, I don't have enough information." Tsunade nodded, and said, "I thought you would say the same thing. Come on, let's head back to the Ninja Ops."

As the two of them prepared to leave, Tsunade called Konan and told her to come to the Ninja Ops right away. As Tsunade reached the building, they saw Konan and Nagato standing atop the building, waiting for them. Tsunade signaled to them, and the two of them dropped down. They were looking rather different from before. Nagato had regained the color that his face had lost over the years, and was now dressed in a black cloak, although without any red clouds on it. Konan was dressed in a black sleeveless shozoku, and black pants, with the Konoha insignia on the back of the shozoku.

Tsunade escorted the rest of the group down to the interrogation chambers, so that they would not be heard by anyone. However, she took the extra precaution of setting up a five sense barrier, just to be doubly sure.

"Alright, now that we're here, Konan and Nagato, I want you two to inform Shikaku all about Zetsu and Madara's abilities."

* * *

The male members of team 7 headed towards the center of the city, wondering where their sensei could be. He hadn't been at the Memorial Stone, neither at the library, not at any of the training fields. Just then, they met Lee. He was running across the village, and they quickly stopped him. He looked at them, smiling. "What is the matter, Naruto and Sasuke? Do you need me for something? Maybe a spar, or a challenge of some sort?"

Naruto shook his head, and said, "It's more of a need. We need to find Gai sensei as well as Kakashi sensei. Would you know their whereabouts?"

Lee put his fingers to his chin, thinking about it. Then his face brightened and he said, "I remember Gai sensei saying that he was going to have another challenge with Kakashi sensei today! He said that he hadn't gone rock climbing in a while, so I guess they are behind the northern side of the village, in the mountain area!"

Naruto brightened and said, "Thanks a ton, Lee! Alright, I'll see you around." The two team 7 members headed towards the monument, and Lee continued on his way.

Sasuke said, "That was a stroke of luck, finding out that they are at the same spot."

"They might not be there yet, though. Lee said that Gai sensei was going to challenge Kakashi sensei. But you know how hard Kakashi sensei is to find," Naruto said.

"Let's just hope they are there."

The two of them quickly made it up to the monuments, and raced towards the mountainous area behind.

As they scanned the area, Naruto suddenly saw a green spot on the brownish canvas of mountains. "There! Can you get a closer look and confirm them?"

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and looked intently at the figure. He could barely make it out, so he pushed more chakra into the eyes and activated the Eternal Mangekyo.

"Yeah, it's them alright. Let's go."

The two of them headed to the base of the mountain where Kakashi and Gai were engaged in a rock climbing competition, with the rules being no chakra, and only one hand. Naruto and Sasuke walked up the mountain calmly, and reached the spot where the two Jonin were trying to climb.

"Hey, got some time to talk?" Naruto said cheerily.

Kakashi grunted, "You... think?"

Sasuke said, "Get this done with quickly, we'll be waiting up top." He began walking to the top. Naruto followed him up. Gai said, "Come on, Kakashi! We mustn't let their youth be hampered by keeping them waiting!"

Kakashi agreed. "The First Gate, then?"

Gai nodded, and the two of them opened their first gates respectively. The two of them quickly climbed to the top, Gai winning by a hair's length.

Kakashi looked rather disappointed for once, while Gai celebrated his win. "We're 63 to 62 now, Kakashi! I'm back in the lead after a long time!"

Naruto and Sasuke walked up to the two Jonins.

Sasuke said, "If you're done, can we talk business now?"

Gai stopped hooting and Kakashi said, "Sure, what do you need from us?"

Naruto said, "We were sparring earlier, but we realized that we know each other too well for it to be a valid fight. So we decided that rather than trying to fight each other, why not fight together? That way we could improve our teamwork even more as well as gain some more experience. And who else to fight against than the Handsome Blue Beast of the Hidden Leaf Village and the world famous Copy Cat Ninja?"

Kakashi and Gai both smiled at the mention of their nicknames, and Kakashi said, "I guess you're right. But it wouldn't really be a valid fight, you know. The two of you have already surpassed us a long time ago."

Naruto replied, "Not in terms of pure strength in TaiJutsu. You can hold your own in a spar with Gai sensei, while I can't. And I can hold my own against Sasuke, which means that the two of us are still not able to match you two in pure combat."

Gai nodded at the skillful assessment. He said, "Alright, kids, if you want to increase your skills by sparring with us, we aren't going to disappoint you!"

He looked at Kakashi and said, "How about it, Kakashi? It isn't every day that the two of us are challenged by someone else!"

Kakashi smiled his eye smile and said, "All right, Naruto and Sasuke. Meet us at the Forest of Death in an hour. We shall commence the spar once we are in there."

Gai nodded and the two of them vanished.

Naruto asked the very same question that haunted Sasuke's mind, "Why the Forest of Death?"


	49. Chapter 49: Sparring With The Elites

**Author's Note: Hey, what's up guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys today. I know I said I would upload in September again, but I didn't get the time. Sue me if you will. Anyway, I'm back and I've got some more content for you today. Hope you guys enjoy, and I'll leave you right to it! Happy Reading!**

**Chapter 49: Sparring With The Elites**

Shikamaru looked at his father in confusion. "What's got you so tensed all of a sudden, Dad?"

Shikaku looked at his son absent-mindedly, wondering whether he should tell him everything or not. 'It could help having Shikamaru's brains for this mission, but Tsunade-sama made it very clear not to involve anyone else. What should I do? Maybe I can involve him, but I'd have to get clearance from the Hokage first.'

"Well? Are you going to tell me or not?"

Shikaku came out of his reverie, and said, "Unfortunately, Tsunade-sama has made me promise not to inform anyone about what we are planning. So I can't tell you."

Shikamaru nodded, and replied, "Well, at least don't think about it while playing shogi. You're already losing."

Shikaku got rid of his thoughts and turned back to the game. "Oh, you've played this move, huh? I don't think I have a choice but to forfeit. Let's restart."

Shikamaru reset the board and they began to play again.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke waited at the Forest of Death for their sparring partners to arrive. As usual, Kakashi kept them waiting. Naruto said, "Looks like we're gonna have to beat that habit out of him, Sasuke. What do you think?"

"I think it's about time to kick some Kakashi butt."

Just then, Gai arrived in front of them, "Come on, let's go. Time's a wasting." He opened the gate closest to them and headed into the Forest of Death. The two Chunins followed him, and Naruto asked, "Where's Kakashi sensei?"

Gai looked back and replied, "Kakashi is getting authorization for us to use the forest. It's not a regular training field, after all, but a specialized test zone of the Leaf village. He'll be back soon, don't worry."

They kept heading deeper into the forest, until they reached a clearing of sorts. Sasuke looked around at the place and said, "Well, this is familiar. Naruto, isn't that the tree where we took shelter after Orochimaru gave me the Curse Mark?"

Naruto took a look at it, and nodded. "The very same. It hasn't changed a bit."

Gai began warming up and suggested that they do the same.

The two of them began stretching their muscles, knowing that they were probably going into the toughest spar of their lives.

Suddenly, a whirlwind of leaves revealed the ever late Kakashi. He waved his hand in a friendly salute and went towards Gai, whispering something in his ear. Gai nodded and said, "Alright, let's begin!"

Sasuke held up his hand and Gai straightened up from the stance he had just taken. "Is, uhh, something wrong, Sasuke?"

"Are we going for a one-on-one spar, with a tag team approach, or fighting two on two, like a tornado tag team?" Sasuke asked.

Gai scratched his chin, and looked at Kakashi. The Sharingan wielding ninja said, "I guess we'll give a one-on-one go for beginners, and then branch out into a tornado tag team, so that we have the best of both worlds."

Naruto nodded in appreciation and said, "So, who's going first, then? You wanna take this, Sasuke? Or do you want me to handle the starters?"

Sasuke turned around to him and said in a low voice, "I'd rather not take Kakashi, since my Sharingan overpowers his. I would be able to defeat him, not with brute strength, but with my Dojutsu. It's best if I fight Gai, since that will truly be a challenge. So, it depends on them. If Kakashi elects to fight first, which probably won't happen, then you can go first."

Unsurprisingly, Gai decided to go first, and so Sasuke stepped into the makeshift ring that the copy ninja had drawn up. Kakashi said, "For the sake of efficiency in the spar, I would rather like if none of us went out of this ring in the one-on-one spar. Things will of course, change in the heat of the battle, but to make it interesting, let's keep a rule."

Naruto asked, "What rule?"

Kakashi replied with a twinkle in his eye, "Whoever gets outside the ring will have to switch with his partner. So for instance, if Gai gets outside the ring, then he will have to switch with me. Same goes for you two."

Naruto and Sasuke smirked, and the raven haired shinobi said, "That's fine by me." Naruto gave the Jonins a thumbs up. Gai entered the ring as well, and faced off against Sasuke.

Naruto and Kakashi both stood next to each other at the edge of the ring, both wondering how the match up would be. Both of them knew that Sasuke would never be able to beat Gai in terms of brute strength. And he definitely would not be able to win without the Sharingan.

Gai said, "Because this is a spar, there will be no GenJutsu, NinJutsu, or KenJutsu. So I would like you to keep that sword of yours outside the ring." Sasuke unsheathed his sword and scabbard from his belt, and threw it towards Naruto. The knucklehead placed it on the ground next to him, and Sasuke said, "I would also prefer if you don't open any of the Eight Gates."

Gai smiled, "Not to worry, I won't. Now, call it, Kakashi!"

"Three, two, one…GO!"

* * *

"What is the state of the village?"

Madara looked towards Zetsu, who had come back with some reports.

Zetsu replied, "Not that good, actually. There is need to restore a lot of damage done by the Raikage himself. The missions in the country are scarce at the moment. It seems that the Raikage charges much more than any of the other villages in the Five Great Nations, which is the reason that most of the smaller and easier missions are delegated to other countries."

Madara shook his head in disappointment, as he looked out of the window again, "I had expected some things to be bad, but the Raikage sure made things difficult. What did he want with money, anyway? He doesn't look like he lived luxuriously."

Zetsu said, "According to the reports I have generated from the civilians and the ninjas, the Raikage did not charge taxes from the civilians at the rate of the other villages. He kept the taxes to a minimum, encouraging more people to enter the village to stay. But to balance the economy, he kept the mission charges higher."

Madara snorted, "That's stupid. Why would he want more civilians…" As the thought ran through his mind, he suddenly understood. The Raikage wanted to increase the strength of his village by turning civilian children into shinobi. It was the very same thing that had been happened naturally in the Leaf village. But the balance of the economy had become rough because of the changes the Raikage had made.

"A bold plan, but he failed in it. I need to lower the mission rates and restore the tax rates. We need the Cloud shinobi to advance, and the only way they can do that is through the missions that we accept."

Zetsu said, "About that…"

Madara turned to look at him again, "Is there a problem?"

The plant like shinobi said, "According to the rumors, the Cloud shinobi haven't taken a liking to you. Most of them aren't sure whether to follow you or not. Half of them weren't even aware of the rule about the Raikage. They are calling it a trick."

Madara's eye glowed and he said, "Time to teach them a little lesson, then, it seems."

Black Zetsu unexpectedly spoke, "With all due respect, Madara-sama, I don't think that beating anyone would solve anything. It would only make the situation worse. I feel that you need to address the Cloud shinobi and assure them that you are capable of leading their village into a new and brighter future. Only then will you be able to gain their support."

Madara fell into a deep thought, and said, "It seems that you are right. I should gather the people and talk, rather than fighting. After all, he did teach me that talking is one of the best ways to solving problems."

"He?"

Madara waved his hand in dismissal, and Zetsu understood that he wasn't wanted any more. He quickly bowed before leaving the office. Madara stood staring outside the window with his hands behind his back, wondering what kind of words would affect this village.

* * *

Gai brought his fist out to punch Sasuke in the face, who dodged fluidly, before dropping down and attempting to slide out Gai's legs from under him. The Jonin jumped up, as the Uchiha expected. Sasuke jumped up quickly and tried to mark Gai's stomach, but the older shinobi quickly used Sasuke's arm to turn his momentum backwards and fall to the ground. Sasuke was unable to balance in time and landed roughly on his right knee. Gai charged towards him, but Sasuke was somehow able to slide out underneath the stomp kick that Gai sent out this way.

The Uchiha turned around and found his forehead connecting with Gai's hard fist. Stars burst in front of Sasuke's eyes and he combated them, trying to clear his head before Gai advanced. However, Gai had stopped, and said sheepishly, "Take a second to recover. I punched a little harder than I should have. In a battle, that would have been a second to finishing blow."

Sasuke said, "That was certainly much harder than I expected."

"Sorry about that, I got a little excited with the fight."

Sasuke enabled his Sharingan and said, "Never mind. It's time for round two. And I won't go down so easily this time."

He charged towards Gai, throwing a left feint before punching at the Jonin's face in a hard right cross. Gai had trained himself well against the Sharingan, and knew how to avoid the hypnotic suggestions that the eye made towards him. He ignored the impulse to jab at the boy's stomach and instead ducked down and struck at the boy's knee. Sasuke couldn't anticipate what had happened and took a glancing blow from the attack. Even though it was just a scrape, the boy's knee hurt like hell.

"How?"

Gai smiled and said, "I know all about the Sharingan's abilities, thanks to Kakashi here. He told me a lot about how it works, and I've got used to fighting against it, thanks to our various challenges with each other. So the hypnotic trick isn't going to work against me. Although you can use the Sharingan to predict my moves. That will give you a little advantage. I'm not sure how much, though."

Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement. 'Gai is truly a talented fighter. He has analyzed the Sharingan thoroughly, it seems. Better not waste my time trying to hypnotize him any further.'

Sasuke decided to try out some of his new moves, and charged towards the Jonin again, who was ready. As Sasuke went for a punch to Gai's head, Gai turned around and struck out with a roundabout kick. Sasuke didn't expect that, and had to suddenly sit down in a perfect split in order to avoid the kick taking his head off his shoulders.

In the position he was, it was difficult to dodge any other move that Gai pulled, so Sasuke quickly backed up onto his hands and jumped back to avoid any of Gai's moves hitting him. He quickly assessed the situation while Gai charged at him, and thought, 'He's much faster than I thought. He knew what I would do and had the perfect counter for it. I haven't marked him a single time in this entire fight. How should I fight?'

As he thought, he looked at Naruto, who was observing the fight with a frown. 'Of course! I have to fight in the exact same way Naruto does! Being unpredictable!' As Gai reached him, Sasuke suddenly did something that no Uchiha would ever do; he caught Gai's right hook in his left hand and jabbed at his chest at the same time with his right hand.

Gai had never thought that an Uchiha would fight so rudimentarily, and had no counter for that move. He took a hard jab in his chest. At the same time, Sasuke let go of his hand, and the result of the jab made Gai go backwards a few steps.

Sasuke glanced back towards Naruto. The Sharingan wielder could have sworn that he saw Naruto smile for a split second. 'This is it, this is the only way that I can fight Gai.' Just as they were about to continue, an alarm sounded, and Kakashi walked towards it, shutting it off, before saying, "Time's up for you two. It's time for Naruto and me to enter the ring."

Gai and Sasuke looked at each other, before bowing in mutual respect. Gai said, "I honestly didn't think that you would pull off that move, Sasuke. It was something I would've expected from Naruto, not from you."

Sasuke said, "That's exactly why it worked. I thought to myself; what would you expect from me? To fight like an Uchiha. So I decided to fight exactly opposite instead."

"Very good, indeed. You are indeed a genius at battle."

The two of them switched places with Naruto and Kakashi, and Sasuke picked his sword back up, putting it into his belt. Naruto faced Kakashi, and said, "Don't go easy on me, Kakashi-sensei."

The copy-cat ninja grinned, "Oh, don't worry, I have no intention to do so." With that, he raised his forehead protector, revealing his Sharingan. He closed his right eye, and said, "Alright, I'm ready when you are. Call it, Gai."

"Alright, time to battle! In three, two, one…GO!"

* * *

Shikaku Nara walked towards the Ninja Ops building, and nodded towards Raido, who was standing outside. Raido nodded back, and said, "Lady Tsunade is expecting you." Shikaku walked in and climbed up the stairs, before entering the Hokage's office.

However, Tsunade was not present there, so Shikaku just sat in one of the chairs opposite to the Hokage's chair.

A few moments later, the door opened, and Tsunade's voice preceded her, "…have them know that I want him ready to leave at the drop of a hat. Is that clear?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Whoever it was that Tsunade was talking to, vanished in a puff of smoke, and Tsunade entered the room. She saw Shikaku sitting there and said, "Wow, I didn't really expect you to arrive here at least for another couple of hours."

He ignored the jibe and Tsunade sat in front of him. She said, "Did you make anything of the information?"

Shikaku said, "Yeah, I did, actually. However, I came here for another reason. I haven't worked out all the details yet, and I had a request."

"What is it?"

"I would like my son to be briefed about this. I could really use his brains in tandem with mine."

Tsunade pursed her lips. "You know that I don't want anyone except the most necessary people to know about this mission, right?"

Shikaku said, "I can vouch for my son. You know his skills; surely you must understand that he could be one of the greatest intelligence assets we possess in the Leaf? I don't want to sound cocky but the truth is that I'm one of the most brilliant minds the Leaf has. However, my kid is faster at assessing situations than I am."

Tsunade said, "Are you sure about that?" Shikaku nodded.

"Very well, then. Brief him about the situation and send him to meet me as soon as possible."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Shikaku got up and turned to leave the office. As his hand turned the door handle, Tsunade said, "I want this situation dealt with as quickly as I can, Shikaku. Make sure you don't dawdle."

Shikaku nodded and said without turning, "I'll make sure not to." He pushed the door open and walked out, before closing it behind him. Tsunade frowned. 'It's not like him to be so tensed. What is wrong with him? Is he afraid of making plans to eliminate Madara?'

* * *

The crowd gathered around the main building wondered what was going on. Most of the civilians had not even been informed about the change in the leadership of the village. The Cloud ninjas were mostly aware of what was going on, but wondered whether their new leader was going to be friendly, or intimidating.

Madara stepped out onto a platform that he himself had made out of Wood Style, and said, "Welcome, everyone. My name is Uchiha Madara."

The name sent murmurs through the crowd; Madara had been famous even among civilians. One of the civilians was brave enough to say, "That's impossible; Madara has been dead for over half a century!"

Madara's eye gleamed through his mask. He itched to slap the civilian across the face, but kept his cool. He said, "True enough, most of you have heard of my fight against Hashirama Senju. Most of you may also have heard that he killed me. It was all a lie he spun in order to keep the Leaf village in his favor. So that he would be able to take control of the village that rightfully belonged under my command."

Now, although Hashirama had been hailed as a God of Shinobi, most of the Cloud ninjas had never liked the Leaf village, and so they took Madara seriously, rather than questioning him. Madara felt bolstered by the silence, and continued, "I was injured badly, no doubt, by Hashirama, who was indeed a talented fighter. However, I didn't die. I was able to escape and rebuild my strength. In doing so, I discovered the secret to immortality. That is why I still live, while he is nothing more than a name and a face on the Great Stone Monument in the Leaf, one which I intend to destroy."

Some of the Cloud ninjas who hated the Leaf village cheered at that proclamation.

Madara said, "I defeated the previous Raikage in battle. I wasn't aware that the ancient rule of the Cloud village was unknown to most of the new generation, which is why I gathered you all here today. The rule is that any ninja can challenge the current Raikage in a battle to death. Should the challenger win, he/she shall assume command of the Hidden Cloud Village. It is this rule that I invoked, and as per the rule, since I defeated the Raikage, I am the new leader of this village."

Most of the civilians did not know about this rule. They wondered whether it was true. Madara saw the look of doubt in their faces, and said, "I am not here to settle any of your doubts. I am here to announce my position as the new Raikage. I know that most of you will not adjust to my leadership immediately, but I assure you, that I shall take every step necessary to improve this village, and make it prosperous."

He thought in his mind, 'Exactly the words Hashirama Senju would have used.'

The civilians cheered for him, and so did most of the Cloud ninjas. A precious few of them who had been loyal to the Fourth Raikage kept mum, but did not turn away. Most of them thought, 'He is stronger than Ay-sama. Maybe he could help the village prosper. Only time will tell.'

The newest Raikage continued, "I know that some of you, especially the citizens, will be a little disappointed with the new rules I make, or even angry. However, the income of the village has severely been affected due to the lack of missions. The previous Raikage saw fit to raise the charges of missions, thus making clients go to other villages to get their jobs done. The mission rates were raised in order to lower the taxes imposed on the civilian populace of the village."

The civilians understood where Madara was leading with this. He said, "I am simply restoring both, the rates of taxes for civilians, as well as the rates for missions. I will not charge any higher tax rates than the regular rule, so do not worry. Also, I am going to start a new civilian martial arts division in order to better train civilians themselves in the arts of fighting. This will be done to ensure that our village is not weak like the others."

The civilians cheered for the new Raikage after his announcements. Madara smiled; he had accomplished his task. The village was now securely under his control.

* * *

Kakashi and Naruto panted, both trying to get the upper hand in the grapple hold that they were in. Naruto was gaining an advantage slowly, or so he believed. However, as he felt Kakashi's hands going slack, he lessened his strength and the copy-cat ninja quickly countered him.

Naruto was thrown backwards by his teacher, and Kakashi quickly followed up with a drop kick. However, the knucklehead was able to shield himself by throwing up his arms just in time. The white haired ninja aimed a punch at the boy's stomach, and Naruto quickly jumped backwards, keeping an eye on the edge of the circle they were in. He caught hold of Kakashi's hand and twisted it to the right. Kakashi twirled himself in the same direction in order to avoid getting his arm broken. However, this left him susceptible to Naruto's stranglehold.

Kakashi quickly put his elbow through Naruto's gut in order to get himself free, and waited for the next attack. Naruto had understood what Gai sensei had done to counter Sasuke's Sharingan and had done the same to Kakashi, making the hypnosis unusable against him. Kakashi ran towards him again, with his right fist extended into a cross, but Naruto simply ducked underneath it, before trying to slam his palm into his sensei's ribs. Kakashi blocked it with his left hand and kicked out towards Naruto's legs. The boy blocked the kick with his left leg and lashed out with his left arm. The elite Jonin quickly jumped back to avoid the punch that could have most certainly turned his ribs into jelly.

The two of them began exchanging blows at a speed that no average shinobi could ever hope to accomplish. Even Sasuke had to activate his Sharingan in order to understand some of the moves that the two of them were pulling off, or else everything would have been a blur.

Naruto was slowly gaining an advantage against Kakashi, having superior speed to make up for the lack of experience. Kakashi decided to borrow a leaf from his book and quickly ducked underneath Naruto's attack, before spearing the boy to the ground. Naruto hit the ground with a loud grunt, and quickly back-flipped into position.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow; Naruto hadn't always been the best shinobi in the Leaf to recover from a fall like that so gracefully. That almost looked like a counter Sasuke would do after taking a hit.

Kakashi looked at Sasuke and said, "Have you been sparring with him for long?" Sasuke said, "Once every two days since I returned."

Kakashi smiled, "It's no wonder that Naruto has grown even stronger since the last time I saw him in battle. He's picked up a few moves from you."

Naruto grinned and said, "It's not just him, ya know. I've been practicing taking a fall properly ever since I came back to the Leaf village. It's always been one of my major weaknesses."

Just then the alarm rang again, and Gai shut it off.

"What now?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi said, "A small break and then the two of us will simultaneously fight the two of you. We can switch partners at any time, although the same rules as before apply. Strictly TaiJutsu, nothing else."

The two Chunins nodded, and took a seat on the grass. Gai and Kakashi walked a little to the side of the clearing, out of earshot of Kakashi's students, presumably to discuss tactics.

Naruto said, "This brings back memories, huh? Fighting against Kakashi and all? Training to become stronger?"

Sasuke looked at him and nodded slightly. "Back then, if I'd known what I was going to become, I really don't know if I would have chosen the same path or not."

Naruto said, "Ah, forget it, dude. It's all well in the past now. Like I said before, we gotta protect this village now, with all of our power." Sasuke nodded.

The knucklehead said, "Hey, I wanted to ask you something. Remember when you came back and Lady Tsunade asked us all whether we wanted to become team 7 again? Why did you say no at that time?"

Sasuke frowned, and said, "I don't really know myself. Maybe it was because at that time, I felt that I couldn't belong in a team. I may have defeated Itachi, but I felt like I was a lone ninja, who wouldn't benefit being a team member, being a part of something bigger than myself."

He looked at Naruto and said, "I guess I was wrong. Having team members is the most beneficial thing a ninja could ever have. I can easily fight without having to watch my back, since I know that there are people who are doing it for me, just like I can do it for them if they need me. At that moment when the question arose, I had felt that the ANBU would be a good place for a person like me, who had betrayed the village. I would be invisible, serving the village from the shadows, very much the same way in which Itachi did, for so long."

Then the boy looked up into the sky and said, "But over these days, I realized that Itachi chose a hard path, one that was full of sacrifice and misery. He gave up his own life, his dreams, his ambitions, in the service of the village. He never even thought twice about it. And I realized that I could never hope to do that myself. In the time that we had spent together before I left, I realized the potential of having a team. Of not having to make all the choices alone, or to bear the consequences alone. Of sharing happiness and sadness with others. Sure enough, a ninja's life is not easy. But having a team to face the dangers is infinitely better than facing them alone. Even when I was hunting Itachi, I didn't do it by myself. I found myself a team, a group of people who I knew would help me out."

Naruto frowned and said, "Where are they, then?"

Sasuke grimaced, "They're dead. Kisame Hoshigaki killed them while I faced Itachi in battle in an Uchiha stronghold. Needless to say, I nearly died there myself."

Naruto understood and said, "It's alright. You have us with you now. Sakura and I are always gonna be in your team. And having a teacher like Kakashi-sensei, I wouldn't worry a bit."

A ghost of a smile flickered across Sasuke's face. Kakashi and Gai walked up to the two of them and said, "We're ready to begin when you are."

* * *

Shikamaru listened in amazement at what his father was telling him. "Dad, this had better not be a joke."

Shikaku boxed his ears and said angrily, "Would I joke about a matter as serious as this?" Shikamaru rubbed his ears and said, "Alright, alright, jeez. You don't need to get so violent."

Shikaku said, "I've vouched for you, you better not slack off on this job, Shika. Or else it's your head on the line. And make sure not to tell anyone about this, you hear? No one must know. Not even Ino or Choji."

Shikamaru grumbled, "Fine." His father sat on the couch and said, "I need to unwind a little. Go away." Shikamaru left the house, wondering what had gotten into his father.

'He's never been unfazed in his entire life, even when facing danger in the face. What's with him all of a sudden? Surely Madara can't be so dangerous that he would be able to strike fear into Dad's heart by the mere mention of his name?'

Shikaku put his hands together, trying to stop the trembling. "Why did this have to happen? Madara Uchiha…why the hell couldn't you have died quietly and let the next generations live without the mention of your dreadful name? I have absolutely no idea how to face you. No amount of intel in the world can prepare a team of shinobi to take this man down. I'm at a dead end. I can't think straight."

Shikaku got up. Maybe a drink would help him think better. He took his jacket and left the house, heading towards his favorite watering hole.

As he entered the bar, he found Choza and Inoichi standing outside. He frowned, "What are you guys doing here?"

Inoichi said, "Something's troubling you, isn't it?"

Shikaku read their faces and said, "I take it Tsunade-sama hasn't briefed you guys yet. Hmm, that's weird. Never mind, you'll come to know soon enough. Let's go have a drink."

The three of them entered the bar.

* * *

"Hmm, it seems like he's shaken, with Madara's name. I didn't expect that."

Tsunade rested her head on her palm, and said, "Thank you, Tiger. That will be all."

Tiger bowed and vanished into the ground. Tsunade's eye twitched, 'Why can they never use the door?'

She got up and headed to the roof. Once there, she looked out towards the village. It had almost been restored to its former glory. More than improved, maybe. The destruction had led to one good thing; it had allowed the village to be completely renovated.

"Enjoying the view? It's much better up here!" A call from above her head prompted her to look upwards, just to see Jiraiya sitting atop one of the stone heads. She jumped up towards the stairs and made her way up the monument.

"What are you doing here, of all places? I thought you had left the village again yesterday."

Jiraiya smiled, "Ah, I had. But I suddenly felt a little homesick, so I decided to linger around a bit longer." He looked at her seriously and said, "Any update on the plan?"

Tsunade sighed, and said, "Our best brains in the village is frozen by the mention of Madara Uchiha's name. Until he can think straight, I fear we don't have much of a choice but to sit tight."

Jiraiya put his hand on her shoulder and said, "It'll be alright. Shikaku can pull himself together." Then he looked out towards the village and said, "You know, I think I should go with the others on this one."

Tsunade turned her head so fast that she cricked her neck. Healing it quickly, she said, "What? Are you out of your mind? You'll be killed!"

Jiraiya frowned, "Have a little faith in me. I'm not as weak as that yet."

Tsunade said, "You're no match for Madara Uchiha."

The white haired man replied, "Maybe not by myself. But I'm not by myself, after all. And I do have Sage Mode. I am still one of the toughest guys around here. I would be a massive help to the others."

Then he smirked, "Not to mention, most of the Cloud Village kunoichis have really big b…"

Before he could finish, Tsunade punched him right in the face. Jiraiya felt a tooth loosen, and shouted, "Dammit, Tsuna, I was just kidding!"

She said firmly, "Serves you right, you pervert. Naruto did give you a perfect name. Pervy Sage." She slapped him again, where she had punched him. He winced, but the female Sannin sent some chakra through her hand to heal his cheek and tooth.

Jiraiya said, "Don't expect me to thank you for that." She replied, "Do I ever?"

The male Sannin jumped down from the monument and began heading into the village. He called to her, "Don't wait up too long." He waved her goodbye and vanished.

Despite herself, Tsunade smiled. "Baka. Always trying to make me angry." She dropped from the stone head directly onto the rooftop of the Ninja Ops and headed down into her office.

* * *

All four of the ninjas in the Forest of Death panted, as they stood and surmised each other. Kakashi and Gai had taken a couple of hard blows, but nothing serious. Naruto had keeled over once by taking Gai's punch right in his stomach, but he had healed almost immediately. Sasuke had a couple of bruises on his hands, while blocking the jonins' hard strikes.

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other, before nodding and launching another attack. Kakashi knew the formation which the two of them were taking, as thought, 'That won't work without Sakura. What could they be thinking?'

Sasuke flew forward with insane speed, matching the speed that Lee had showed when he had opened his Fifth Gate in the Chunin Exams. Kakashi knew he would not be able to dodge, and moved his hands to block instead. However, Gai saw the move coming and was easily able to block it by jumping in front of Kakashi.

"Kakashi, take care of Naruto, I'll handle this."

The former ANBU ninja nodded, and sent a kick towards Naruto, who had jumped towards him. Naruto was forced to change his trajectory in mid-air and twisted awkwardly to avoid the kick. He landed on the ground, losing all his bearings.

Naruto smelt, rather than saw the next attack, and was able to back flip his way out of the jaw shattering punch that Kakashi had aimed at his cheek. Naruto gave no time for Kakashi to think; he quickly rushed forward at his maximum speed in order to close the gap between the two of them, and tried to clothesline Kakashi.

The white haired jonin simply dodged the clothesline by ducking underneath, and quickly launched twin punches towards Naruto's chest. Naruto jumped backwards, kicking Kakashi's hands away with his legs. He advanced again, this time trying to attack the jonin's legs. Kakashi played it safe, taking a defensive stance and attempting to wear down the knucklehead.

However, Naruto had more stamina than the rest of Team 7 combined. He wasn't called a hyperactive ninja for no reason, after all. Naruto doggedly pursued Kakashi, attempting to land a serious hit on the jonin, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Kakashi got winded.

Gai saw the danger that Kakashi would presently be in, and quickly rushed towards Naruto, knocking him over. Naruto hadn't expected that, and looked around wildly.

"What the heck, Sasuke? I thought you were taking care of Gai-sensei!"

Sasuke grunted, "He's fast."

Naruto was the one on the defensive now, since Gai was attacking him with a ferocity he couldn't hope to block.

Sasuke on the other hand, was faring well against Kakashi, knowing exactly how the Sharingan worked, and using his own to a nice advantage.

Kakashi thought, 'They weren't kidding when they told us about this. They really want to beat us.' He quickly backtracked a little, trying to get some distance between himself and the Uchiha prodigy.

By and by, the two Jonins began to wear out. Even Gai's stamina was running short compared to Naruto. As he took a blow to the gut, he doubled over, and Kakashi had to come running over to rescue him. However, that left the white-haired Jonin susceptible to Sasuke's attack. The Uchiha quickly swiped Kakashi's legs from underneath him.

Naruto and Sasuke both stood in front of the two Jonins, panting slightly. They smiled and lent their hands to Kakashi and Gai. The two Jonins graciously accepted their help, and stood up, Gai rubbing his stomach to lessen the pain inflicted by Naruto's punch.

"Well, it certainly looks like you guys won this bout," Kakashi said. "Your teamwork is excellent, and your individual skill more than makes up for the lack of experience compared to us. I guess if the two of you continue at this pace, you could easily take out an entire battalion of ninjas by yourself."

Gai nodded, "If Naruto's punches hurt like this during a spar, I would hate to be at the receiving end of one in a real battle."

Naruto scratched his cheek modestly, and Sasuke smiled slightly. The two of them bowed to the two Jonins, who did the same.

"Shall we call it a day, then?" Naruto asked. Kakashi nodded. He looked at Gai, who inclined his head as well, and the two of them saluted goodbye to the two Chunins, before vanishing.

Naruto and Sasuke began walking out of the forest. Sasuke said, "This was a good spar. I was able to pick up a few moves from Gai back there. I'm sure they will come in useful when I pair them with my Sharingan."

Naruto smiled, "Nice."

As the two of them exited the special training ground, Naruto said, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you ever forgive Itachi for what he did?"

Sasuke frowned. "I'm not sure. I still can't get over the fact that he massacred the entire clan. I'm not sure how I'll react if I ever see him in front of me again."

Naruto thought, 'I better ask Itachi to tell Sasuke about his wife and daughter quickly. Maybe that will change Sasuke's feelings.'

The Uchiha turned around. "I'll see you around, Naruto. I'm heading home for the day."

The blonde nodded and said goodbye to his best friend, before heading home as well.

* * *

Kiba walked towards his favorite restaurant to get some lunch for himself and Akamaru. This was a special place for him because the owner loved dogs as much as he himself did, and served Akamaru just like he would serve any human.

Akamaru barked in joy as the two of them entered the restaurant. Kiba's nose picked up a delicious aroma, and he smiled. The owner of the restaurant, Ken, came over to them, and smiled, "Good day, Kiba-san. How are you today?"

"I'm fine, Ken-san, just a little hungry, "Kiba answered.

The owner led them to a table. He patted Akamaru and said, "Will you be having the usual, then?" Akamaru barked in agreement, and Kiba gave him the thumbs up. Ken went to the back of the restaurant, and Kiba sat with one foot on the chair, lazing backwards. It had been a good day, training hard with Akamaru, perfecting one of his newest jutsus.

As Ken himself brought their lunch out, Kiba asked him, "I've never really thought about this before, but I know that most restaurants in Konoha do not allow dogs in. Why do you have an exception?"

The owner smiled, and replied, "One of the Inuzuka clan's ninken once saved my life during the attack of the Nine Tailed Fox. I have been indebted to them ever since. And I have generally loved dogs ever since I was a child. If you come over to my house some time, you will see at least a dozen dogs around."

Kiba's eyes widened. "A dozen!"

Ken replied, "Oh, they aren't mine, of course. They're just the stray dogs that usually roam the streets. I've been putting food out for them ever since the ay my life was saved. They are grateful to me, and usually sleep in my front yard, protecting me, should anyone ever try to harm me in any way."

Kiba was impressed by the man's dedication to the dogs. The owner walked away, leaving the two of them in peace. Kiba and Akamaru quickly finished their meal, and paid the bill, before leaving the restaurant. Akamaru suddenly barked and Kiba said, "Really? Why?" The dog barked again, and Kiba turned around, looking towards the tree behind which Hinata stood.

"Hey, Hinata. What's up? Why're you standing there?"

Hinata blushed, as Kiba walked over to her. He said, "Did you need me for something?"

The girl violently shook her head, and started nervously tapping her fingers. Kiba frowned; Hinata had never been so nervous in front of him before. She usually stuttered while speaking to him, but was never nervous.

'I wonder what's gotten into her. Oh, well.'

He began to walk away, and Hinata looked up with a tear in her eye, willing herself to call out to him and express her feelings for him. But she couldn't do it. She let him walk away, observing silently. As they turned a corner, Akamaru looked back towards her, before following Kiba.

From her vantage point, Ino mused, 'Well, she's definitely in love with Kiba now. All that's left is for her to tell Kiba how she feels about him. But, that is gonna take a while. I hoped that she wouldn't be as nervous around Kiba as she was around Naruto, but looks like those feelings were transferred as well.'

Just then, she noticed Naruto walking towards home, heading onto the road where Hinata stood. And as Ino watched, a sudden thought crossed her mind. She paled. 'Oh, no!'

But it was too late. Naruto noticed Hinata standing beside a tree and walked over to her, saying, "Hi, Hinata. What's up?"

Hinata looked over at him. She frowned slightly, and said after a few seconds..."Do I know you?"

Ino face palmed. It had gone just like what she had thought would happen. Since Hinata only remembered the orange jumpsuit wearing kid Naruto, she didn't recognize the older, mature and changed Naruto anymore.

The knucklehead stared at her in surprise, and said, "You don't know me? It's me, Naruto!"

"Naru…to?"

Hinata strained her memory, trying to remember this person. Her mind went back to the Academy, where a blonde kid in an orange jumpsuit had proclaimed to the entire class that he was going to be Hokage someday.

Naruto saw a flicker of recognition enter her eyes and smiled. "What's wrong, how could you forget the most hyperactive, unpredictable, knucklehead ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village?"

Ino couldn't let the situation get out of hand; she quickly jumped down, and Naruto said, "Yeah, I was wondering when you would come down."

Ino started; she didn't know Naruto had sensed her. She whispered, "I need to talk to you about Hinata, it's urgent. Come on, let's go home."

He sensed that something was wrong, and looked back at Hinata with concern, who was still trying to make out whether he was the same Naruto that she once barely knew. He said, "Well, I'll see you around, Hinata. Good day!" He took Ino's hand and vanished.

* * *

"So, what did you want to talk about, Ino-chan?"

Ino took a deep breath and began telling Naruto all about what happened between her and Hinata. Naruto listened in astonishment.

"She tried to kill you?!"

Ino nodded sadly, before continuing her story. Naruto listened incredulously as the story reached its climax. As Ino finished, he sat back on the sofa, with his head in his hands.

"Oh, my God. This is unbelievable."

Ino bit her lip, "Are you mad at me?"

Naruto looked at her, "Are you insane? How could I be mad at you for something like this? You did the right thing. If you hadn't, Hinata probably would have been imprisoned, or worse. The Leaf is very clear about what happens to those who try to kill their comrades."

He took her hand and continued, "I'm sure that Hinata will find Kiba a good companion. However, I'm not sure that you should have done what you did. You used a forbidden jutsu on a comrade of the Leaf. Even if it was for a good cause."

Ino grimaced; it had been a tough choice for her to make. "What should I do now?"

Naruto said, "Two things. One, you must inform Grandma Tsunade about this. I'm sure she can take care of things. Second, tell your dad about this. He may get angry that you used this jutsu like this, but you had to do what needed to be done."

Ino paled; her dad's temper was legendary. Naruto linked his fingers through hers, and smiled, "I'll be with you the entire time, don't you worry."

* * *

Sasuke walked towards his house, entering the Uchiha compound. As he walked towards his house, he saw a woman walking out of the compound, with a baby on her left arm. He frowned; no one but him should have been allowed into the compound.

He stopped the lady and asked her, "Who are you? And why are you here in the Uchiha compound?"

Katsumi Uchiha shifted on her feet nervously, as she faced her brother-in-law. Itachi had told her to ensure that she never came face-to-face with him. But it was too late now.

As Katsumi wondered what to do, Sasuke said, "I asked you a question. Only Uchihas are allowed in this compound. Who are you?"

Katsumi didn't answer. But suddenly, a figure emerged out of the ground in front of her, and turned to face Sasuke. It looked like an ANBU member.

Sasuke said, "Now who are you?"

"Oh, I'm hurt. Don't you remember me, Sasuke?" said the ANBU member in a sarcastic voice. He removed his mask.

As Sasuke stared at Kisame Hoshigaki, hatred began coursing through his veins. His blood began boiling as he looked at Suigetsu and Karin's killer. The young Uchiha drew his sword.

Kisame drew a scroll from his pocket and unsealed it, revealing his Samehada. He held it to his side easily, saying, "I'm not here to fight you, Uchiha brat. But don't push your luck. Leave now, before you get hurt."

Sasuke couldn't believe how much hatred he was feeling right now. The amount of killing intent that was being generated by him even took Kisame by surprise. Behind Kisame, Kiyoko woke up and began to cry at the massive killing intent unleashed.

"Who are they? And why are you protecting them?" Sasuke asked in a cold voice. His chakra was becoming visible as he spoke. Kisame held his ground; he had orders from Itachi never to let Sasuke know about the older Uchiha's wife or daughter.

Sasuke couldn't control himself any longer, and charged towards the Six-Tails Jinchuuriki with alarming speed. He aimed a strike at Kisame's heart, but the shark like man was easily able to block it using Samehada.

Sasuke kept attacking, but Kisame dodged and blocked as though he had been practicing every day just for this moment. He was successfully able to lead Sasuke away from Katsumi and Kiyoko.

As the battle grew more and more intense, all of a sudden, Sasuke stopped. He took a few steps back and looked up at the building behind Kisame. Another ANBU member was standing atop it. As he watched, Itachi jumped down from the top, and landed in front of Kisame.

He removed his mask and said, "What do you think you're doing, Sasuke?"

Sasuke pointed his sword at Kisame and said, "I'm going to kill him for what he's done to Suigetsu and Karin."

Itachi said, "I told him to do it. He didn't even want to waste his time with them. I told him to get rid of them because I knew that they would be a bad influence on you. You would have grown dependent on them. I couldn't have that, could I?"

Sasuke said, "I don't care who told him what. The fact is that he's the reason my friends are dead, and I will have my vengeance."

Itachi sighed, and said, "Haven't you learned anything from all that you've been through so far? To avenge the Uchiha clan, you became a criminal. Even now, people still think suspiciously of you when you walk past them. And now, for two people who you call friends, who you didn't even know that well, you're going to do it once more? I saw Suigetsu; I could read him clearly. He was going to try to kill you as soon as he got the Samehada. And Karin; well Karin was just a girl with lusting for you, that's all."

Sasuke digested this information with a little bit of shock; Suigetsu was really going to kill him?

Itachi said, "Kisame and I are now ANBU of the Hidden Leaf. If you kill either one of us, you will become a criminal once more. And I doubt that Naruto will try to save your neck this time."

He turned around to walk away with Kisame. Without looking back, he said, "As for the woman with the child that you saw, they're my wife and child."

Sasuke stared at him in shock. Itachi and Kisame vanished, leaving Sasuke to his thoughts.

* * *

"**ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!**"

Ino winced as her father roared at her. His voice reverberated through the entire Yamanaka compound. All the Yamanakas rushed outside the compound, lest Inoichi's anger get them in trouble.

Naruto moved forward quickly, and said, "Inoichi-san, kindly hear her out."

The man breathed heavily, staring at Naruto. He looked into the concerned expression on Naruto's face, and nodded. Ino began telling him what had transpired.

As she finished telling her story, Inoichi had calmed down a bit. He said, "I don't know, Ino. You know that you've broken one of the fundamental laws of the Hidden Leaf village. Come what may, you should not have used a KinJutsu on your comrade. If the Hyugas ever hear of this, there will be a steep price to be paid."

Naruto said quickly, "We won't let anyone ever know about this, Inoichi-san. We'll make sure of that."

Inoichi said, "The Hokage will have to be informed." Ino nodded, looking at the floor in guilt, and Inoichi continued, "I will accompany you. Let us leave, right away."

As they left the house, Inoichi said, "I can't pretend I'm not disappointed in you, Ino. I taught you that Jutsu thinking that you would one day be the leader of this clan. But if you start acting this way, how can I trust you to be responsible enough to lead the clan?"

Ino stared at the ground in silence as tears began to well up in her eyes. Naruto averted his eyes, knowing that anything he said would make the situation even worse.

Inoichi said softly, "I will approve of whatever punishment the Hokage sees fit to give you, Ino. You cannot look to me to help you out in this situation." Ino nodded, still looking at her feet.

The three of them walked up the Ninja Ops staircase, each of them thinking different thoughts. Naruto knocked on the door, and it was opened by Shizune. Tsunade was busy signing some papers, and said without looking up, "What is it, Naruto?"

He didn't say a word, and she noticed a tenseness in the air. She looked up to see Inoichi and Ino both standing still. Inoichi seemed to have recently been angry, and Ino had been crying.

Tsunade said more gently, to Ino this time, "What is it, Ino?"

Inoichi said, "Milady, if we could talk in private."

Tsunade nodded and looked at Shizune. The Hokage's apprentice left the room immediately.

Inoichi looked at Ino, but she seemed incapable of saying anything. He began to tell the Hokage the entire story.

When Inoichi was done, Tsunade was nursing a giant headache. "This is a disaster. We have got to make sure that none of the Hyugas ever learn of this, or there'll be hell to pay. They'll have Ino executed for sure."

Ino blanched. Naruto put his arm around her supportively. Tsunade said, "Well, I can't say for sure that Ino was wrong to use the Jutsu, though. If Hinata was trying to kill her, then the whole thing could be put behind us by saying that she did it in self-defense."

Inoichi stared at the Hokage in surprise. He said, "But Milady, this is one of the rules of the Hidden Leaf village at stake here."

Tsunade said testily, "Do you **want** your daughter to be punished, Inoichi?"

Inoichi backed off, "Of course not, but…"

"Then this topic will be buried here itself. No one is to know about this, you understand?"

Inoichi bowed slightly, "Yes of course, Milady."

Tsunade turned towards Ino, "As for you, I can only hope that no day comes such that you have to regret using this jutsu." Ino nodded, fresh tears falling thickly from her eyes.

She whispered, "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama." Naruto comforted her.

Tsunade pulled out a balm from a drawer in her desk and began applying it to her forehead, soothing it. She said, "You can go now. And Inoichi, I would like you to forget about this incident as soon as possible. You've raised one hell of a daughter; don't begrudge her for one small incident."

Inoichi nodded. He left the room, with Ino tagging along. Naruto stayed back, and when the two of them were gone, he said, "Thanks, Grandma Tsunade. I appreciate it."

Tsunade said, "I did what was right, nothing else. If Ino hadn't used the jutsu, Hinata would probably be dead today, and the Hyuga clan would have been shamed publicly. What she did probably saved the face of that entire haughty clan."

Naruto nodded. Tsunade leaned forward and said, "What about Hinata? She barely recognizes you now, right?"

The knucklehead said, "When I first met her after this incident, she actually asked me who I was. I was really surprised by that. It seems that Ino went way back in her memories to get rid of me."

Tsunade smiled and said, "The things people do for love." She leaned back in her chair again and said, "All's well that ends well, Naruto. Be happy that you don't have to worry about Hinata again. Get going now, I'm sure Ino will need you at this time."

Naruto nodded and teleported to Ino. The kunoichi was walking to their compound, after having said goodbye to her father at the Yamanaka residence. She looked up from the ground and saw Naruto smiling at her.

"I deserved to be punished, Naruto. I got off lucky."

Naruto put his arm around her waist and said, "Do you honestly think I would let you get punished for this? It wasn't even your fault! If it's anyone's fault, it's mine!"

Ino looked at him in surprise and he winked, "After all, it's my fault that I'm so handsome that girls love me!"

Ino realized what Naruto was doing and laughed, putting all feelings at ease. Naruto said, "That's better. C'mon, let's go home and watch a movie or something."

Ino nodded.

* * *

**Author's Note: By the way, I wanted to thank you guys for hitting 300 followers! I never really expected my story to do so well, honestly, since it's my first story. However, thanks for all the support, and I love you guys for always continuing to read, even with my disrupted updates. Thanks a lot, and hope you all keep enjoying my story!**


	50. Chapter 50: The Misty Situation

**Author's Note: Hey, what's up everyone, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys today. I finally hit 50 chapters! Wow, I never even expected to make it to 30, but somehow I just kept going. I started off by picking elements from other people's stories, but somehow wound up spouting off my own stuff from it. I'm glad that people are still enjoying my story, however, the lack of reviews is something that bothers me somewhat. When I see these other stories that have around the same number of followers that I do, but have thousands of reviews, I kinda feel that I'm doing something wrong somewhere. Is that what's happening? I dunno. So, guys, it doesn't really take much time, please hit me with reviews for the chapters, I don't want heaps of praises to be showered upon me, I just want honest reviews from honest people so that I can improve in the future. I've got an idea for an original book now, and I will be writing it next year. Hopefully, I might just be able to do it. But I need people to pass me their opinions in order to do that. And where better than this place? :D **

**So, hopefully I can get a few extra reviews from you guys, I do take care to reply to all the reviews, so don't think that your review will be wasted. I can guarantee it won't. Anyway, that's enough talk from me now, time for you to relax and get on with my story. So, as usual, Happy Reading!**

**Chapter 50: The Misty Situation**

A door knock brought Tsunade's attention out of her paperwork.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Choza Akimichi's stomach preceded him as he walked in, Inoichi Yamanaka trailing behind him. He closed the door lightly and stood at attention. The two of them waited for Lady Tsunade's permission to talk.

Tsunade gestured for them to speak, and Inoichi began, "Milady, we would like to know what situation you have put Shikaku in. He has rarely ever been this disturbed. In fact, I think that it is the first time that he has ever been fazed by a dangerous situation."

Choza nodded, and added, "We could help him out if we knew what he's trying to deal with."

Tsunade understood that the two friends were concerned about their teammate. However, she had not yet chosen to brief anyone else about the mission, and so she could not tell these two about it either. If they weren't chosen to fight against Madara, then she didn't want the information to reach the two of them.

She sighed and said, "As loyal as you two are to him, you should know better. Shikaku is your best friend; if he is hiding the information from you, how do you expect me to divulge it? All I'll tell you is that he is to make a plan that could potentially shape the future of the shinobi world as we know it. And that's what has possibly got him so traumatized."

Inoichi's eyes widened slightly, and he understood the predicament that Shikaku had been introduced to. He bowed slightly and cast a glance at Choza. The Akimichi clan leader bowed as well, and the two of them left the office silently.

Tsunade got up and stared outside her office window, letting go of her paperwork for a moment. It was going to be one of the toughest decisions that Shikaku would ever make. Should he fail, he would be criticized by the entire shinobi world for generations to come. However, the opposite was also true; should his plan succeed, the future generations of shinobi would be singing praises about him even as they graduated from the Academy.

Shizune entered the office, and saw her mistress standing in deep thought. She knew better than to interrupt and calmly waited until Tsunade forced herself out of her thoughts.

"Yes, Shizune, do you need something?"

The Sannin's apprentice took out a letter from her robes and handed it to her. Tsunade took a look at the seal and frowned. "This is…"

Shizune nodded. "It's a missive from the Village Hidden in the Mist."

Tsunade wondered what Mei wanted from her. The Mist had carefully been on neutral terms with the Leaf ever since Mei Terumi rose to lead her village as the Fifth Mizukage. Could this have something to be with the infiltration Jiraiya had done some months ago to gain information about their current strength? She doubted it; Jiraiya was a master at infiltration and espionage.

Tsunade was cautious, however. Mei Terume wan't a pushover. She took the scroll and went to the lower chambers of the Ninja Ops building, where a special room laced with FuinJutsu had been built in order to protect anything from ever escaping the room.

Carefully, she opened the scroll, expecting an attack or a FuinJutsu of some kind. However, nothing filled the scroll except words. Tsunade heaved a sigh of relief and sealed the scroll again, before heading back upstairs to read it in peace.

The Hokage, once safely inside her office again, opened the scroll once more. The scroll read,

_To,_

_Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village,_

_Land Of Fire._

_Respected Tsunade-san, _

_ Due to past events between our villages, there has always been hostility among us. My rise to the title of Mizukage has been one that took some time to adjust to, as I am still young (though not as young as our current Kazekage.) Even then, I write this letter to you in order to request a meeting with you._

_ I have already seen the benefits that the Hidden Sand Village are reaping with your alliance. It has come to my notice that your village is trying to make peace with all other villages. Naturally, this will not entice the Hidden Cloud or the Hidden Rock Village since they are both natural enemies of your village. However, I would be pleased if you would gratefully accept my offer of becoming your ally. I have been in deep consultation with my village elders ever since I gained the title, and I believe that the time is now right. _

_ I have also sent a similar letter to the Kazekage, and he is yet to respond to me. But I am sure I will receive a positive response from him, since he is also an ally of yours, and is also interested in peace between the Great Nations._

_ Kindly grace us with your presence at the border of the Land of Fire on the eastern seaboard which overlooks the Land of Whirlpools. I shall be there along with around six of my finest bodyguards. Of course, I shall not move out unless you respond to my missive. Please think about my proposal and reply as soon as possible. I hope we can come to a mutual agreement sooner than later._

_Mei Terumi_

_Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village_

_Land Of Water_

Tsunade raised an eyebrow as she finished reading the letter. Mei Terumi was a fiercely independent woman, who had gained her title of Mizukage through sheer skill and talent. She possessed two separate Kekkei Genkais, the Lava Style as well as the Boil Style. She was able of easily manipulating all elemental chakras, save for lightning.

'Could she really be looking for an alliance with us? Or is this a ruse?'

Tsunade wanted to believe in the former, but she was no fool. The Hidden Mist Village was placed in a soundly strategic location and was impervious to attack from both the Hidden Leaf as well as the Hidden Cloud village. The Mizukage needed no reason to ally herself with either the Leaf or the Sand. In fact, the Sand village was the furthest away from the Mist, making their alliance extremely difficult to maintain as well as geographically unsuitable.

Tsunade decided that she needed to speak with Gaara as quickly as possible regarding this new development. She sealed the scroll again, and got rid of her barrier before calling Shizune in, who was patiently waiting outside.

"I want Naruto here as soon as possible."

Shizune nodded and left the office, dialing Naruto. However, the knucklehead didn't make use of his cellular that much, and didn't answer the call. Shizune called on one of the ANBU stationed around the Ninja Ops building and had him deliver the call from Tsunade to Naruto. The ANBU member left immediately.

Shizune returned to the office. Tsunade had dialed up the Kazekage. She motioned for her apprentice to be silent as the call connected.

"Good day, Lady Tsunade."

"Hello, Gaara."

"I'm assuming this is in regard to the invitation by the Mizukage?"

Tsunade was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected the missive to reach Gaara as quickly as it had reached her; she had thought that the Mizukage would send both the letters at the same time. It seemed as though Mei had taken care to ensure that both the missives reached the respective villages at the same time.

"Yes, the very same. What do you think?"

"We need to talk in person."

"Exactly what I thought."

Gaara said calmly, "If it isn't too much trouble, I would like Naruto…"

Tsunade cut in, "Already on it. I've sent for him. We'll meet in the chambers below my Ninja Ops building. I don't want anyone else except those completely necessary to know about this."

Gaara agreed and wished the Hokage a good day before hanging up. Tsunade looked at Shizune. "Well?"

Shizune answered nervously, "He's not picked up the call, so I sent Hawk to get him here."

Tsunade sighed.

Naruto finished his usual training exercises with his clones, and began to prepare his NinJutsu training for the day. Recently, Ino had pointed out to him that he could make more efficient use of the Rasenbolt if he widened the diameter rather than making it as sharp as possible. Although it could be used as a javelin, its strength was that it completely razed the ground where it landed into a completely barren piece of rock. Being such a powerful jutsu, taking more time to sharpen it would be useless, and keeping it wide would widen the impact on the targeted area.

Naruto began focusing his chakra into the palm of his hand, creating a basic Rasengan first. He willed a Shadow Clone into existence without any hand signs, and it began adding lightning chakra to the Rasengan.

Hiding in the trees, Hawk stared in wonder at the Jutsu. He had never seen anything like it. By and by the Rasengan began to turn purple and lengthened at two edges, forming a lightning bolt of a kind. Naruto kept the diameter wider than before. He threw the bolt, and Hawk's eyes widened as it raced towards him. "SHIT!"

The Rasenbolt flew at him with blinding speed and the ANBU member could not hope to dodge this jutsu. The least he could do was shield himself from the impending explosion.

Hawk closed his eyes, bracing for the jutsu to hit. But it never came. He opened his eyes and saw Naruto standing in front of him, a slight frown on his face.

Hawk stood up and saluted Naruto. The knucklehead said, "Why were you spying on me?"

Hawk said, "I was ordered to call you to the Ninja Ops. However, when I saw you performing that jutsu, I couldn't help but watch. I apologize."

Naruto relaxed, "You're lucky I sensed your chakra just as I threw that, or you would most certainly have been dead by now."

Hawk said, "How did you stop that jutsu from hitting?"

Naruto replied, "I didn't. I simply shielded you from it."

He turned around and the ANBU shadow saw his singed clothes on the back of his body. Naruto had evidently screened the Black Ops member from the impact of the Rasenbolt.

Hawks' eyes widened in shock as he realized what Naruto had done and thanked the blonde profusely.

"There's no need to thank me. I would do it for anyone of my village, ya know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I guess I should get going towards the Ninja Ops. Grandma Tsunade will likely have my head for lunch if I don't get there soon."

Hawk blinked and the boy was gone.

* * *

"You needed me, Grandma?"

Tsunade's eye twitched at the long running remark but forced herself to remain calm. "I need you to go to the Hidden Sand and escort Gaara back to the village. There is an urgent matter we must discuss."

Naruto gave her a thumbs up, and said, "When do I leave?"

"Right now, if possible."

"Sure thing. I'll probably have to stop there to take a rest, though. I was doing some Rasenbolt training, and that takes a lot out of me. Unless you have any of those chakra vials."

Tsunade nodded, and opened a drawer on the right hand side of her desk. She pulled out one of the several vials she had stored in there. Naruto took the vial and gave her a two-fingered salute before vanishing.

The son of the Yellow Flash appeared out of nowhere at the entrance of the Sand Village. Over a few weeks, he had begun teleporting large distances, until he had finally been able to make a single jump from the Leaf to the Sand. It took a substantial chunk of his chakra, which was surprising, considering the amount he had to spare. The nature of the Hiraishin was that the user could teleport small distances in battlefields, which wouldn't take much of a toll on one's chakra reserves, but teleporting to such far away distances seriously increased the amount of chakra required to perform the space time jump. If anyone but Naruto had performed this jump, they would probably collapse of chakra exhaustion right away.

He panted slightly and walked over to the entrance. The guards had been informed about him, and welcomed the blonde, escorting him directly to the Kazekage's office.

Naruto entered the office, and Gaara looked up. He smiled and stood. The two of them shook hands, and Naruto smiled as well.

"It is good to see you again, Naruto."

"Same here, bro."

Gaara began to prepare himself. He quickly created a Sand Clone and instructed him to continue working. The Kazekage pulled on his royal robes, and inclined his head towards Naruto to let him know that he was ready.

Naruto said, "Hold on just a sec." He knew that he definitely wouldn't be able to make it back to the Leaf on his remaining chakra. He quickly downed the chakra fluid from the vial Tsunade gave him. His pupils dilated for a moment, and he felt himself brimming to edge with chakra.

"Ah, that feels good. I probably wouldn't have needed it if I hadn't wasted chakra with the Rasenbolt earlier though."

Gaara made a mental note to ask Tsunade whether she could divulge the secret of this new chakra fluid solution, as he waited patiently while Naruto stretched out his limbs. The blonde took his shoulder and the two of them teleported right back to the Ninja Ops.

Tsunade was waiting, and smiled as Gaara and Naruto appeared. She said, "Let's go down, where no one will hear us."

Gaara agreed and the three of them began to head down. Tsunade said, "What do you think you're doing, Naruto?"

The boy stopped, confused.

Tsunade said, "Get out of here, this is a matter for the Kages."

Naruto grunted, "Well, you could have said so before." He stalked out of the building and the two Kages reached the FuinJutsu chamber Tsunade had used before.

The two of them sat down and Tsunade said, "Well, let's get straight to it. I don't really want to think that this is some kind of a trap, but Mei hasn't really been in correspondence with me until now, so I can't take any chances."

Gaara nodded. "They weren't called the Bloody Mist for no reason. It could easily be a trap. However, as I think about it, it would be foolhardy to invite two allied Kages to a meeting by herself, if she planned on eliminating us. Since the two of us are allied, it would be beneficial to her to call only one of us instead."

Tsunade slowly nodded as she let that thought digest. She said, "It's possible that Mei has found something that would allow her to take the two of us out at the same time."

Gaara pursed his lips in thought. "I don't really think anything short of a Bijuu could trouble the two of us together," he mused. Tsunade smiled at his vote of confidence in her as well as himself.

Gaara said, "Well, we could also consider that she really wants to be an ally of our villages. After all, the Hidden Cloud is close enough to her to strangle her if they ever go to war. The Leaf is the only ally she can rely on to act instantly."

"Then why the Sand? You cannot really provide her with anything similar."

"Every thought that we bring out right now makes me more and more certain that she is willing to ally herself with us. Although it is most probably because the Mist is still not strong enough to protect itself from any kind of assault."

"That's hardly true, Gaara. The Mist is a strategically sound village. They are completely isolated on all sides. The environment there is extremely favorable to them. Any sort of assault on their homeland will lead to complete annihilation of the enemy."

"Not if the enemy has some way to penetrate their defenses."

"I'm pretty sure nothing has changed in the recent years. If their defenses held strongly for more than half a century, I see no reason why the Mizukage would suddenly get paranoid about them and rush to make allies."

Gaara suddenly said, "Maybe they've run afoul of the Hidden Cloud."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow; this was certainly a possibility. The Hidden Rocks village was too far for the Mist to cause any sort of trouble without carefully planning it. On the other hand, the Cloud village was the closest to them. They could easily have caused some sort of disruption there. And with the current situation of the Cloud, perhaps the Mizukage had realized that she needed a strong ally to back her up.

"Do you think she knows about Madara Uchiha taking control of the Cloud?" Tsunade asked.

Gaara replied, nodding slowly, "It's entirely possible. I wouldn't put it past her to have an efficient spy network throughout the Great Nations."

"So, what do you think? Should we go for it or not?"

Gaara smiled slightly, "I'm all for it. We may have a tough time by ourselves, but together, we are more than she can handle anyway. And we will also bring our best with us, just in case."

Tsunade said, "But wait, this could also be a plan to attack our villages when we are away."

"I do not believe the Mist possesses the militaristic strength to take on both of our villages at the same time."

Tsunade agreed; to take on both the Leaf and the Sand at the same time would have been foolish for any of the other villages.

"Alright then, we shall honor her request. I will bring Team Kakashi with me, as well as Jiraiya. What about you?"

Gaara said, "I would prefer if you left Jiraiya-san here to handle things when you are gone." Tsunade frowned. "Jiraiya isn't the type to **handle **things."

Gaara said, "As of now, most of the other villages acknowledge you as the Hokage only because you are one of the legendary Sannin. Should any of the major villages know that both of you are leaving the village for some reason, it could provoke an act of aggression. Jiraiya-san, being another Sannin, is the only one who can help avoid this."

Tsunade saw the reasoning and had to give it to him; Gaara was extremely smart. She said, "Very well, I shall ensure Jiraiya remains behind to keep the village safe. However, I will need a suitable replacement."

Gaara had been confided in about the Uchiha situation, and said, "Why not bring Itachi with you? He will certainly be of great use in case this turns out to be an ambush."

"There is bad blood between Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha, who is on team Kakashi. Also, Itachi will not come so far alone. He is still wanted by the Akatsuki. He would insist on bringing Kisame Hoshigaki along, which I cannot allow, considering who we are to be meeting."

"Hmm, that certainly puts a damper on things. Well, I'll leave it up to you. Anyway, I have a feeling that it won't come to that. You should be fine with team Kakashi."

"Maybe, maybe not. We won't know until we're there. What about you? Who will you be bringing?"

Gaara said, "My siblings, of course, will be there. I will also be bringing Natsuki, my bodyguard, as well as Baki, my former mentor."

Tsunade said, "What about Matsuri?"

Gaara blushed, and said, "I don't think that she would be ready for a fight of this caliber, should one occur."

Tsunade held back a smirk; it was fun teasing the Kazekage.

He said, "We need to respond to her missive. How about I send my message along with yours, although with a separate bird."

Tsunade nodded, and said, "Let's fix the meeting for two weeks from now. That will give us plenty of time to free everyone's schedule."

Gaara stood up, as did Tsunade. The two of them shook hands, and Gaara said, "Well, I should get going soon, then. My Sand Clone might be adept at hiding my presence from regular shinobi, but my siblings would understand the difference immediately. I would prefer not staying away from my village for long."

Tsunade said, "Oh, by the way, I wanted to talk to you about another matter, but it isn't of utmost importance. We can deal with it over the air." Gaara nodded.

The two of them went to the Hokage's office, where Tsunade asked Shizune to bring two carrier birds. Carrier birds were still in use with the Hidden Mist village, because of some electromagnetic repulsion in the islands between the two countries which sent cellular signals haywire.

Gaara wrote his message on an official paper that he always carried. It bore the seal of the Kazekage. Tsunade wrote her own message and both of them sealed the messages in scrolls. They attached the scrolls to the legs of the carrier birds and sent them off to the Hidden Mist Village.

Gaara said, "I'll take my leave then, Lady Hokage. Let's hope that the Mist soon becomes an ally."

Tsunade hoped for the same. Naruto had not gone back to training, knowing that he would be needed again soon, and was waiting on the roof of the building, reading another scroll he had recovered from Uzushiogakure.

Tsunade called for him, and he went back to transport Gaara back to the Hidden Sand Village. Gaara bid farewell to the Hokage, and returned back to the Sand with help of Naruto's Hiraishin.

Naruto wished Gaara a good day and returned to the village, asking Tsunade if she needed anything else. The answer was a negative, however, so Naruto returned to his training.

* * *

Sasuke walked across the compound, trying to sense where Itachi was staying at the moment. He could barely sense another presence in the compound, and decided to head towards it. It was hardly a minute's walk away.

'Itachi is clever enough to hide his presence with a GenJutsu, or at least subdue his chakra enough for me not to notice him. So what is this chakra that I sense? Hmm, it is probably his daughter's chakra; she's not old enough to hide her presence.'

He headed over to the house, and as he expected, Kisame leapt out of the house next door. 'I knew he would be around somewhere, protecting them.'

Kisame unleashed his Samehada and pointed it towards Sasuke. "You have no reason to be here. Leave now."

Sasuke held his hands up in partial surrender. "I only came to talk."

Katsumi came out; probably due to the killing intent that Kisame was radiating. "What's going…" She faltered as she saw Sasuke standing in front of their house.

Sasuke stated calmly, "I wanted to talk to you, Itachi's wife."

The woman frowned. She knew that Sasuke had always wanted revenge against Itachi for what he had done to the Uchiha clan. That being said, it was strange that Sasuke had come seeking her. Perhaps he wanted to know who she was. Or perhaps he was still deranged and wanted to kill her as well.

"What is it that you want to talk to me about?"

Sasuke looked at Kisame, and Katsumi understood. She nodded towards Kisame and he left the immediate vicinity, but his presence could still be felt, just outside earshot.

"I wanted to know; does your daughter have the Sharingan?"

Katsumi was taken aback; this was the topic that she least expected Sasuke to ask her about. There was no harm in answering, though.

"Yes, she does, although she hasn't yet unlocked it."

"Of course. It takes years to unlock the Sharingan."

Katsumi said, "Is that all?"

Sasuke stared at the ground, before saying, "I…I never expected to be an uncle. This sensation is completely new to me. Rest assured, I will never make any move to harm either of you. You are part of the Uchiha clan now, and therefore you are part of the ambition I always wanted to fulfil, that of rebuilding my clan."

The woman relaxed slightly, and said, "It's alright, Sasuke. I understand that you must have felt terrible about what Itachi did, but he served the punishment that you meted out to him. I think it's about time that you let bygones be bygones and begin progressing in life."

Sasuke grunted, and Katsumi could not make out whether it was in agreement or not.

The boy said, "Can I take a look at my niece?"

The woman nodded, and called for Kisame. The Jinchuuriki was especially fond of Kiyoko, and had been named her godfather. The three of them entered the house, and Katsumi led the younger Uchiha to Kiyoko's room.

Sasuke took a look at his niece through the Sharingan, and said, "She seems to be a strong child."

Katsumi smiled with pride, and said, "Yes, she certainly is. What else can you expect from a girl whose father is Itachi Uchiha?"

She led Sasuke out into the hall. Kisame stayed back to look over Kiyoko.

Sasuke sat on the couch, and Katsumi asked him if he wanted anything to drink. He declined politely, and said, "So where are you from? How did you meet Itachi?"

The woman began telling him her story and Sasuke listened with rapt attention.

Just as she was finishing, Kisame came out and said, "Itachi is coming home."

Sasuke stood up immediately. "I should leave."

The female Uchiha said, "No, please wait. You don't have to go anywhere."

Sasuke turned around, and said, "It's not a matter of going because Itachi's coming home. I don't want to come in front of him, because every time he does, he reminds me of what I have gone through."

"But you need to face him sooner or later."

"I would prefer it to be later, then."

That said, Sasuke vanished. A moment later, the door opened, and Itachi came in. He took a look at Katsumi's face and understood.

"That was Sasuke, wasn't it?"

"Yes, he left as soon as Kisame announced that you would be returning."

Itachi sat down with a sigh. "I wonder if he'll ever come to terms with the fact that I did what I had to for the sake of the village."

Katsumi sat next to him, putting an arm around his shoulder in support. "I'm sure he'll come around sooner or later."

The two of them noticed a slight change in the air as Kisame disappeared, leaving them alone.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were engaged in hand-to-hand combat, while Sakura looked on at the fierce skill and speed the two of them displayed. She had been told to use GenJutsu on both of them in turns, to make the fight a little tougher. Sasuke had not enabled his Sharingan, since that would immediately make him aware of any GenJutsu.

Naruto had been progressing steadily in the art of repelling GenJutsu, although he had still not made much progress in casting them. Sasuke, on the other hand, was naturally a GenJutsu expert, and had no difficulty in breaking any GenJutsu thrown at him.

The Uchiha struck Naruto as he stumbled due to a particularly efficient GenJutsu thrown at him.

"You need to focus, Naruto."

Naruto got up, rubbing his shoulder. "Easy for you to say, you are a natural at GenJutsus."

Sakura said, "This fight isn't really effective. We all know that Naruto can kick Sasuke's ass if he's fighting without the Sharingan. However, Sasuke's ability to naturally repel GenJutsus makes the difference apparent. Naruto, you really need to work hard on your GenJutsu or you can kiss the title of Hokage goodbye."

Sasuke frowned slightly at what Sakura had said about Naruto kicking his ass, but had long since understood that fighting with pride is useless. He had grudgingly come to acknowledge that Naruto's raw skill greatly surpassed his own, and was working harder than ever to catch up to him in terms to pure speed and strength. After all, the Sharingan could only help him so much.

Naruto brought out Kitsune, and said, "What about a little KenJutsu, then?"

Sasuke looked at Kitsune curiously, and said, "Where'd you get a weapon like that?"

Naruto smiled and replied, "I made it myself."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows in surprise. He quickly enabled his Sharingan and said, "Wow, that's a lot of chakra bonding. Very well made, I have to say."

Naruto grinned. "That's not all." He showed Sasuke all the features of his weapon, and the Uchiha was left wide-eyed.

He quickly formed a Chidori and extended it towards Naruto, who blocked it with his Kitsune. Sasuke had to give it to him; that was one exquisite weapon.

"I'm impressed, Naruto."

"Thanks, bro."

Sasuke looked at his own sword, wondering how it compared to Naruto's Kitsune.

The knucklehead asked him, "What about your weapon? What does it have apart from sheer cutting power?"

Sasuke replied, "This is Orochimaru's sword, Naruto, the Kusanagi. It is one of the legendary swords in the world. Even I have not yet been able to unlock all of it's secrets. Orochimaru could lengthen the sword and use it remotely as well. I have yet to learn those tricks. For now, I use it as a regular sword."

"I see."

The two of them went into their favored weapon stances, and Sakura called the match. "Get ready to fight! Three, two, one, GO!"

Naruto and Sasuke both charged towards each other. Naruto was faster, and opened up with a slash towards Sasuke's arm, knowing that the Uchiha would easily be able to dodge. Sasuke avoided the blow easily by turning to the left, and struck out with his sword at the same time.

The blonde has been waiting for this move, and was able to kick Sasuke's hand out of the way in a most unconventional way, before bringing his Kitsune down hard on Sasuke's left shoulder.

Sasuke's right hand was stinging; he had never expected Naruto to use his legs in this manner. It was unheard of in weapon duels. However, he was able to twist out of the next move using his flexibility. The Uchiha jumped backwards, trying to gain some distance so that he could get back into position, but Naruto never gave him the chance.

'Alright, so be it.'

Sasuke suddenly charged, using chakra to speed up his movement. Naruto smelt rather than saw him coming in from the right, and quickly put up Kitsune to block. But Sasuke pulled a move straight out of Naruto's strategies, and kicked the Kitsune out of the way before plunging the sword straight into Naruto's unprotected shoulder.

Blood splattered everywhere as Naruto's shoulder was cut down almost to the bone. Sakura gasped in horror and ran towards Naruto.

Sasuke stared in surprise at the knucklehead. "Why the hell didn't you move out of the way, dobe?" he asked.

Naruto grinned sheepishly. He scratched his head, "I didn't think you would do the exact same move as I just did. I guess I paid the price for it."

The wound was deep, but nothing that Sakura couldn't fix. She quickly healed the cut, and the boy's regenerative abilities helped as well.

Sasuke bent over to pick up Kitsune, and Naruto shouted, "NO!"

The Uchiha froze. "What is it?"

Naruto said, "Kitsune isn't that easy to pick up. Not only does it not work for anyone else, it also discharges a lightning spike into the hand of anyone who touches it."

Sasuke gave a low whistle of appreciation. Naruto went and picked up Kitsune, sticking it into its scabbard.

Sakura said, "That's enough for today. That wound may have healed, but the skin is new and will tear if subjected to pressure immediately. I want you to rest for the remainder of the day, Naruto."

He shrugged and said, "Alright, then, do we have anything else to do?"

Sasuke shook his head, and said, "How about doing a mission? Something low key, just to pass the time by. We would also be helping the village complete all the missions that were left overdue since it fell to Pein's attack."

Sakura smiled, "Sounds like a great idea. We could probably do a hundred D rank missions in a day, considering who we have on our team." She looked at Naruto, who understood what she was talking about. He gave her a thumbs up, and said, "Alright, let's go to the Ninja Ops building."

Naruto had told Sasuke and Sakura about his abilities as well, so the two of them now knew about the Hiraishin. The blonde quickly took hold of Sasuke's shoulder, and asked him to do the same to Sakura.

The pinkette blushed, but Sasuke kept his face neutral as he touched Sakura's shoulder. A moment later, they teleported outside the Hokage's office. Naruto knocked and Shizune's voice sounded, "Come in."

Naruto frowned, and walked in. Sakura and Sasuke followed him. A surprising sight met their eyes.

Shizune was sitting in the Hokage's seat, sorting through a bunch of paperwork. She rubbed her eyes blearily, as she looked up towards Naruto and the rest of Team 7.

"Hey, guys. Did you need something?"

Naruto said, "Yeah, we did, though we didn't expect to see you sitting in Grandma Tsunade's seat. What's the matter, where is she?"

"Oh, Tsunade-sama went to the hot springs to take some time off. She's been working extremely hard for a long time now, so I thought she deserved to take some time off. I'm regretting saying it though, considering the amount of paperwork still left. There's tons of mission requests that have come in, and we don't have nearly enough people to handle the lowly stuff that's been asked of us right now. There's approximately a couple of hundred new D-Ranked mission requests that just came in."

Naruto stepped forward and asked, "Are they worth the effort?"

Shizune nodded, and said, "If we had enough people, the income from these missions would also help out a great deal. Recently, we have been sending even Genins on more C-Ranked missions, because most of the Chunins are helping out in the reconstruction of the village."

Naruto said, "How about I do all the D-Ranked missions? That way we can earn money as well as not have to worry about additional manpower being diverted for the small stuff."

"But how would you…" Shizune broke off as she realized what Naruto was leading to. He smiled.

"Alright, then. But you better not cause any trouble, Naruto, because if you do, the refunds will come from your pocket."

Naruto laughed, "Relax, Shizune. I'm no longer that scrawny troublemaker from three years ago. I'll handle it, believe it!"

He suddenly remembered the other two, and said, "Oh yeah, do you have any higher ranked missions for us until then? We are bored and could do with something good to keep us busy."

Shizune rummaged through a small bunch of sheets, and picked out one of them. "How about this? It's a A-Ranked mission at the edge of the Land of Fire. Apparently, some ninja from the Hidden Cloud went rogue a while ago. Rumor has it he was last seen in that area. Orders are to hunt him down and capture him by any means necessary. If push comes to shove, kill him. He's a Jonin level ninja, so be careful. Also, he seems to have a good bounty, so if you do kill him, bring his body over to the Ninja Ops so that we can claim the bounty. You'll get half of it for yourself."

Naruto turned around, and Sasuke shrugged. "Alright, we'll take it. Unless there's anything better?"

Shizune shook her head and said, "All the other A-Ranked missions have been delegated to the Jonins of the village already. Kakashi's on a mission as well."

"Alright, never mind. We'll take this one, as well as all the D-Ranked missions. Give me the mission list, I'll make my clones do all the D-Ranked ones, while we head out for the rogue ninja one."

Shizune handed him the giant pile of missions that Naruto's clones would have to do.

The three of them left the office, and once outside, Naruto intoned, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

About two hundred clones split off from Naruto, and all lined up in front of him in an orderly manner. He gave out a mission to each one of them, and once everyone had a mission, he said, "Listen up. The Leaf Village has a lot of missions to complete and not a lot of time. So we are going to be helping out. I want all of you to complete these D-Ranked missions as soon as possible. Once done, you will collect the money and report back to Shizune. Make sure you do not take a hit during the mission, since you will disappear. Is that clear?"

All the clones saluted, "Hai, boss!" and began running off to the various missions they had been assigned. Naruto turned towards Sakura and Sasuke. "Let's go, shall we?"

The original Naruto along with Team 7 headed towards the Land of Fire. Since Naruto had no Hiraishin markers in that area of the Land of Fire, the three of them began traveling on foot. They were soon near the site where the rogue-nin had last been spotted when Naruto caught sight of him washing his hands at a stream, and silently pointed him out to the others.

Sakura and Sasuke waited until the man was done. He seemed completely unaware that he was being watched by three ninjas.

Sakura snorted, and whispered, "This guy is a Jonin?"

Almost as if he had heard her, the rogue-nin threw a kunai towards them, and took off.

The kunai sailed harmlessly over their heads; it seemed he had thrown it as a distraction. The others didn't notice it, but Sasuke's sharp eyes caught sight of the small paper stuck to the kunai. "PAPER BOMB!"

The bomb went off just as Sakura and Naruto had begun to chase the rogue-nin. Sakura managed to shield herself from the blast by turning on her heels and bracing herself. She flew back into a tree, and the breath was knocked out of her lungs. Sasuke quickly knelt beside her, and helped her up. The knucklehead, on the other hand, had gotten used to being thrown around, and shrugged it off easily. He quickly gave chase to the Jonin, and caught up to him in a few seconds. He overtook the ninja and stopped him from the front, while Sasuke and Sakura caught up from behind. Sasuke was mildly surprised when he saw Sakura catch up to him almost instantly. She was not even out of breath.

The boy's respect for her went up a notch. 'She seems to have trained hard in the last three years.'

Naruto said, "No hard feelings, but you're coming with us." The Jonin laughed, and his hands blurred as he signed quickly. "Lightning Style: Rising Storm!"

The ground rumbled, and Naruto quickly sensed what was happening. He jumped up into the air and the other two followed his lead. As they leapt up, the ground around the rogue-nin opened up as giant bolts of lightning began spiking up throughout the area.

Naruto whistled; that was a deadly jutsu indeed. If he had been a second later, he probably would have been skewered. However, luck seemed to be with him, so he quickly landed on the ground, and began to give chase to the retreating Jonin once again.

This time, Sasuke was the one who caught up to him first, annoyed at having been delayed by an attack like that. He pulled his sword out, and charged towards the rogue, who pulled out a kunai.

Sakura caught the Jonin in a GenJutsu. He was distracted and Sasuke immediately gained the upper hand while the rogue tried to dispel the sight of ghosts swimming around his vision.

As he dispelled the GenJutsu, the rogue-nin felt the hilt of Sasuke's Kusanagi hit him on the head, and he fell unconscious. Naruto said, "Seriously, though, this guy is a Jonin? You could have fooled me." Sakura smiled; Naruto probably hadn't acknowledged the fact that the rogue-nin had been caught by probably the strongest team in the Hidden Leaf village.

He pulled out a scroll and stored the man's body in it. The Team returned to the village, a mission completed.

* * *

Tsunade walked back to the Ninja Ops building, having relaxed for a long time in the hot springs. Her mind fresh, she decided to talk to Gaara. Once in her office, she rung him up.

"Hello again, Lady Tsunade."

"Hi, Gaara. Well, it's been a while since the village was destroyed, and it's shaping up pretty well so far. So, I've decided that it is time."

Gaara said, "What time would that be?"

Tsunade said, "Time for the Jonin Trials to be held again."

The Kazekage frowned. The Jonin Trials were held in every village independently. There was no need for Tsunade to inform him about them.

"I do not understand my inclusion in this decision, Lady Tsunade."

The Hokage said, "I would like if you would also hold the Jonin Trials in your village at the same time as I do."

Gaara said, "Is there some tactical reason for this?"

"More like a show of strength, Gaara. The other villages must know that the Leaf is still strong after the attack. Also, since you are our ally, it will make sense for both of us to combine our strengths."

Gaara understood. The Jonin Trials were a show of strength to ensure that none of the other villages attacked the Leaf or the Sand thinking that they were weak. He said, "Alright, understood. When do you wish to begin the Jonin Trials?"

"I would like it to be some time after we come back from the meeting with the Mizukage."

"Very well. We shall plan it accordingly. Will that be all?"

Tsunade said, "Yes, I think that's all for now. I'll ping you if there's anything else you need to know."

"Alright. Goodbye then."

Gaara hung up.

* * *

Naruto entered Ichiraku's, and ordered his favorite ramen. As he waited, he noticed Sasame sitting in one corner of the restaurant. He walked over to her and smiled, "Hey, Sasame! It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Sasame looked up at him, and her eyes brightened. She smiled with delight, and said, "Naruto!" The blonde sat next to her, and asked her why she was sitting all alone.

Sasame looked down at her feet, and said sadly, "My team was disbanded yesterday. Our leader was injured in a mission, and will never be able to go on missions ever again."

Naruto said comfortingly, "I'm sure that you'll find another team to work with, Sasame."

The girl looked at him and smiled slightly. "Thanks, Naruto. Your confidence really helps." She paid her bill and walked out of the restaurant. Naruto went back to his own spot, where Teuchi had kept a piping hot bowl of ramen ready for him.

"Ahh, wonderful."

As Naruto finished the ramen, he sensed a presence outside the restaurant, and frowned slightly. 'What is Itachi doing here? Does he need something from me?'

He paid his bill and left the restaurant.

Itachi Uchiha stood against a nearby tree, just outside Ichiraku's. Naruto walked up to him, and said, "Hey, Itachi. Did you want something?"

Itachi replied, "I wanted to know what Sasuke is up to nowadays. I don't see much of him, and he doesn't want to face me."

Naruto said, "Well, we usually train every alternate day together. I don't know what training he does on his own, though. He also goes on missions with us now. He's changed a lot recently. I think you should find him and talk to him once more, Itachi. Perhaps you can convince him to forget about the past completely now."

Itachi nodded, and said, "I'm going to try precisely that. Thank you for the information, Naruto. Do you know his current whereabouts?"

Naruto nodded, "He told me he was going to head to the Forest of Death for some survival training."

Itachi thanked Naruto again, and vanished. The blonde decided to head back home, where he knew Ino would be waiting for him.

Upon reaching home, Naruto knocked. However, Ino didn't open the door. Naruto waited for a few moments more, before knocking again. However, there was still no reply. Naruto fished his house keys out of his pocket, and thought, 'Ino must've gone out somewhere.' He entered the house, and saw Ino lying on the floor.

"INO!"

Naruto rushed to her and picked her up, putting her on the couch. He felt her pulse. It was steady. It looked like the girl had fallen unconscious.

Naruto quickly brought a glass of water and sprinkled a little of it on her face. Ino stirred slightly as the water woke her up. She looked at Naruto with bleary eyes. "N-Naruto?"

"What happened to you, Ino?"

The kunoichi sat up and rested her head against the back of the couch. "I don't really know, myself. I just fell unconscious suddenly."

Naruto said, "Did you make any changes in your food recently?"

The girl shook her head, "I've always been particular about my food."

"Well, don't scare me like this again, Ino. I was worried sick just now."

The platinum blonde smiled, and Naruto relaxed. Just then, a knock on the door alerted them. Naruto opened the door; an ANBU member was standing outside.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Lady Tsunade has requested you to come to her office immediately."

Naruto nodded, and the ANBU member disappeared. Naruto said, "I'll be back soon, Ino. Have you had dinner yet?"

She shook her head, "I was waiting for you."

"Well, order something and I'll be back soon. Then we'll eat together."

"Alright."

He left the house and quickly teleported to Ninja Ops.

Tsunade looked up from the book she was reading, and said, "Sit down, Naruto. We're waiting for the rest of Team 7."

"Anything special, Grandma?"

"You could be needed if my meeting doesn't go according to plan."

Naruto asked, "What meeting?"

But Tsunade kept mum. Naruto waited impatiently. Sasuke and Sakura showed up at the exact same time. Kakashi was trailing behind them.

Naruto spoke, "Alright, out with it, then. What's this meeting you were talking about?"

Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi waited patiently for Tsunade to begin speaking. She got up from her chair and turned around to face the window.

"The Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village has asked me, as well as Gaara, to meet her at the eastern seaboard of the Land of Fire. According to her, she wants to become an ally of the Hidden Leaf and Sand villages."

Kakashi raised his head slightly, but betrayed no surprise at this revelation. Sakura frowned, as did Naruto, and Sasuke kept his face carefully neutral.

The pink haired kunoichi spoke, "Why would the Mizukage want to become our ally? She doesn't need any protection, does she?"

Tsunade turned around to face her and nodded, saying, "I thought you would come up with that question; very good, Sakura. However, the Mizukage explained that she wants to benefit from an alliance with us just as the Hidden Sand have."

Sakura understood; the alliance between the Leaf and Sand had allowed both the villages to open up trade and commerce to a whole new level, which allowed both of the villages to become much more stable economically.

Naruto said, "Is the Mizukage in any danger?"

Tsunade replied, "Not that I know of. She could have been in trouble with the Hidden Cloud, but there hasn't been any news from there."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow, but Tsunade kept quiet. Kakashi said, "I suppose we are required for backing you up, Lady Tsunade."

The Hokage nodded. "The four of you are undoubtedly the strongest force we have in the village. Gaara will be there with Kankuro, Temari, his bodyguard Natsuki, and his former teacher, Baki."

"Any word on how strong the Mizukage's team will be?"

This time, the question was from Sasuke. Tsunade said, "Six of her finest bodyguards, if her word is to be trusted."

"And do you trust it?"

"I discussed this with Gaara. He believes that this couldn't possibly be a trap, since if it were, Mei wouldn't have asked both the Kages to come at the same time."

Kakashi echoed her own words, "Unless the Mizukage has found some way to defeat the two of you together."

Tsunade smiled, "Possibly. Why do you think I'm calling in all of you for this?"

She took a look at all of them. Kakashi was a Hokage level shinobi already, as was Naruto. Sasuke was also one of the most dangerous shinobi in the world, a force to be reckoned with. Sakura had steadily become stronger and could now easily take on S-Ranked shinobi with no problem whatsoever. This team could effectively wipe out an entire brigade of enemies without breaking a sweat.

"Jiraiya will be in command while I leave the village. Gaara pointed out that we must have at least one Sannin in the village, to ensure that things do not go wrong."

Kakashi nodded; it was a sharp and wise decision. 'Gaara may be young, but he is just as intelligent as Shikaku Nara. Well, maybe a little less.'

Naruto said, "What are chances of getting into a fight?"

Tsunade pursed her lips in thought, before saying, "Hard to know. But I would say about twenty percent."

"Alright."

Tsunade said, "We will be leaving in two weeks' time. The Kazekage will leave three days before, and assemble at our village. From there, we travel to the eastern seaboard. Any questions?"

Naruto raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"Will we be overlooking the Land of Whirlpools where we're going?"

Tsunade froze; she had forgotten about Naruto's involvement in that area. She thought about it for a moment, and decided to be blunt. "Yes, we will."

"Then I wish to make a request, if it isn't too much trouble."

"What is it, Naruto?"

"I would like Ino Yamanaka to be added to this mission."

Tsunade smiled; the boy wanted to show his girlfriend the land where his ancestors originated from. She looked into the ledger, and saw that Ino was free in that time slot.

"Alright, knucklehead, you have your request approved. Inform Ino about the situation and have her ready to go. Any more questions?"

Team 7 shook their heads. "Well, you can leave then."

Sasuke and Kakashi left with a shunshin. Sakura walked out politely through the door and Naruto waited back. Tsunade sensed what he was about to say, and spoke first, "I know, Naruto. You want to stay back after the mission to show Ino the Uzushiogakure."

Naruto nodded, "I also wanted to visit it from some time. Ya know, to explore the place a little."

"Well, as long as the mission succeeds, I don't see why not. Although, I want to let you know that you shouldn't waste more than a couple of days there. I am organizing the Jonin Trials soon after we return, and I want you to participate."

Naruto stared at her. The Jonin Trials? So soon?

"What are you playing at, Grandma? The village has just been renovated, we should all be going out on missions right now, not worrying about our ranks!"

Tsunade said, "When you become mature enough, you'll understand the reasons behind doing this. As of now, work hard on your skills in the next two weeks. I want you to be at least proficient in all the other pillars of the shinobi skills, if not in GenJutsu. And make it a point to practice GenJutsu every day without fail. I don't even know how you haven't mastered it till now, given your record of mastering jutsus."

Naruto said, "I don't know, either. I've tried using Shadow Clones to the same effect as in my other training, and it doesn't do squat. They get trapped in the GenJutsu just as badly as I do."

"Well, try as hard as you can. You do know that I will not be able to make you Hokage until you are a Jonin. And I mean full Jonin, not Tokujo."

The blonde nodded, and turned to leave. On the way out, he said, "I know that I won't be the next Hokage, Grandma. But if it's alright with you, I'd like to nominate myself for it anyway."

Tsunade smiled; Naruto had really grown. He knew that he was not the next choice for the job. She said, "I will consider it too, Naruto. Now get going. Tell Ino about the mission."

He disappeared, and Tsunade went back to her book.

* * *

"An S-Ranked mission? Seriously?"

Ino looked at Naruto with excitement, and he nodded, saying, "It's going to be near the Land of Whirlpools. I asked for you to be included in the mission, so that I could show you my ancestors' village."

"Wow! That's awesome! When do we leave?"

Naruto smiled, "Not just yet, we have a couple of weeks to go."

Ino's face fell, and she said, "I thought we are going soon."

"Well, it is an S-Ranked mission, after all. Grandma Tsunade needs to prepare everything."

The two of them were at home, having dinner, when Naruto had sprung the news on Ino.

She said, "So, what's this mission about anyway?"

Naruto began explaining it to her. After he was done, she said, "Well, I don't think that the Mizukage would be foolhardy enough to take on both the Hokage as well as the Kazekage at the same time."

Naruto said, "We won't know until we see that for ourselves."

"I suppose so. Hey, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

Ino said, "Well, I've been thinking for a while, and I've wanted to try to infuse the Rasengan with Earth chakra. You've done it with Wind and Lightning chakra already. I wonder what would happen if I infused Earth style chakra into it."

Naruto said, "I don't really think it would work well, Ino. See, the essence of the Rasengan is its thrusting power. The way it can punch through things with its force. The nature of Earth chakra is making chakra strings strong, isn't it? All it would do is make the Rasengan extremely heavy, right?"

Ino said, "I thought that too, but still, Earth chakra is chakra. What if it manifested itself in a way that worked? After all, Kakashi sensei did tell us that the strongest jutsus in the world are those that combined change in chakra form as well as change in chakra nature."

Naruto thought about that, and decided that it was worth a try. He said, "It's up to you, Ino. It's your idea, so you're going to work on it. You'll need a Shadow Clone to provide the Earth chakra though."

Ino nodded. Naruto said, "Why run it by me, though? You could've worked on it directly, and shown it to me if it was successful."

Ino said, "You taught the Rasengan to me, Naruto. How could I advance it without telling you?"

Naruto smiled.

* * *

"Well, what's this about, Gaara? Why have you called us so late at night?"

Gaara looked at Temari. She hadn't been pleased when she found that Gaara had left the village without informing her.

"It's about the Hidden Mist village."

"What about it?"

"Wait for Kankuro and Baki."

Natsuki stood to the side respectfully. A few moments later, Baki and Kankuro entered. The puppet master began without preamble, "What's goin' on?"

Gaara explained the entire situation to them, and Baki said, "Well, I don't think this could be a trap at all. The Mizukage wouldn't dare take the two of you on by herself."

Gaara nodded. "However, we must prepare ourselves for any situation. All four of you will be accompanying me to the Hidden Leaf Village. We shall be joined there by the Hokage and her team, which consists of Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto."

"A deadly team." said Baki.

"Precisely." replied Gaara, "They are Konoha's strongest combat team. They can easily handle anything, and I will feel most comfortable knowing that Naruto is there. He would die before letting any harm come to the rest of us."

Baki snorted, "Perhaps to the Leaf. But why would he care about us?"

Temari smiled slightly, and said, "Baki, you do not know Naruto Uzumaki very well."

* * *

Far away in the Hidden Leaf, Naruto woke from his sleep with a fit of sneezes.


	51. Chapter 51: Fire Meets Water

**Author's Note: **Hello, everyone, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys today, and sorry for the long delay, again. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and please leave a review if you do. Happy Reading!

**Chapter 51: Fire Meets Water…Alongside Wind**

Ino's body tensed in anticipation as she waited for the attack. She couldn't sense any chakra, the enemy had lowered their chakra level extremely well. The blonde sensed rather than saw the next attack, and turned to the right to avoid the two kunai that had been launched out of the trees.

A red blur dashed out of the trees, and clashed with Ino. She was amazed by the raw speed and barely managed to block the punch that was thrown at her. Naruto grinned, and continued to attack, pushing the blonde back with every attempted strike.

Ino's back touched a tree, and she ducked to the right instinctively as Naruto's next punch came towards her mostly unprotected face. The boy's hand tore through the tree trunk, and Ino thanked her stars for the recent advances in her TaiJutsu training.

She back-flipped out of the way to get some space, but Naruto pursued her easily, making sure she would not have time to think. A second might have been nothing for a regular civilian, but for ninjas, it could be enough time to kill or be killed.

Ino decided to go on the offensive. As Naruto closed in towards her with an uppercut aimed at her, she quickly went down and swung his feet out from under his body. Naruto was surprised at the change of pace but was able to balance himself out by using his hands to perform a neat handstand and jump back up.

This time, Ino led the attack, and Naruto raised his eyebrows, not having expected her to attack at this speed and ferocity. He narrowly dodged getting elbowed in the stomach, and tried to paralyze her with a chop to the neck. However, Ino simply grinned as she blocked the blow with her left forearm, punching the other blonde in his left shoulder at the same time.

Naruto jumped back. 'She's doing the same thing that I do, fighting unpredictably. Nice.' He smiled and bowed, signaling the end of the fight.

Ino bowed as well, and the two of them assessed the fight.

Naruto said, "I didn't expect you to be as fast as you were in this fight. How did you do it?"

Ino replied proudly, "I've been training with chakra weights ever since you came back from your week long training with Kakashi sensei. Of course, I would never be able to use as many weights as you do, or even Sakura does for that matter, but even the amount I used were enough to give me a giant speed and strength boost."

Naruto nodded in appreciation. Ino's TaiJutsu had stepped up quite a bit from the last time he had sparred with her, and she would no doubt be able to hold her own against a Jonin level shinobi with ease.

"So, Ino, what do you think? Are you ready to try out for Jonin this year?"

Ino frowned. "Are the Jonin Trials being held this year? I thought they would be postponed to next year, seeing as the village just recovered from a massive attack."

Naruto said, "I thought the same thing, but apparently Grandma Tsunade wants to hold the trials after we come back from the Land of Whirlpools. And she wants me to go for it, so I wondered whether you thought you were ready."

Ino scratched her chin thoughtfully. "I dunno, Naruto. On one hand, my TaiJutsu and GenJutsu are completely up to mark now. However, I'm still lacking in powerful NinJutsus. And also, my KenJutsu skills are not that great. Spying and espionage isn't a problem for me, since I have a small chakra signature, and am good at hiding. I don't think I would make Jonin this time."

Naruto said, "You don't have to. But it would be good practice for the next time. And who knows, maybe you could be made a Tokujo instead."

"That's true. I guess I'll give it a shot then."

"Great."

* * *

"You summoned me, Madara?"

The Uchiha turned around to look at Deidara, who was staring at him with an angry expression.

"You seem disturbed."

"Well, who wouldn't be when they found out that the immature partner they had to put up with was actually a legendary shinobi who was presumed dead for decades? Hn!"

"I had my reasons for keeping things a secret."

"Oh, no doubt you did."

"Do you have a problem with me? If so, we can sort it out right now."

Madara's Sharingan gleamed, and for a second, Deidara has a splitting vision of Itachi staring at him through the same eyes. 'Those accursed eyes!'

He bowed slightly, and said, "No, Madara-sama. I don't have any problems whatsoever."

"That is good to hear. Where were you for so long? Why didn't you answer the call?"

Deidara rose back up and said, "I was in hiding. The Stone Ninjas suddenly decided to come after me. I had to make sure that I wouldn't get caught by them, since they know all about my Jutsu."

"I see. Perhaps the Tsuchikage is going senile now that he has aged so much."

Deidara scoffed, "You're as old as he is."

Madara's eyes gleamed again, and Deidara quickly looked away.

"I need you to capture the Three Tails. You still haven't done it."

The artist ninja said, "What's the point? We can't go ahead with our plan any more, not with just three of us left."

Madara's voice went dangerously low. "I did not ask you for your opinion in the matter. I am telling you to go and capture the Three Tails. Now."

Deidara shuddered at the cold tone, and decided it was best not to argue. He bowed slightly, and left as quickly as he could without breaking out into a sprint.

Zetsu came out of the wall next to Madara and said, "Should you really be talking to him like this? He's the only one left apart from us, if he decides to leave as well, what will we do next?"

Madara smirked, "We have an entire village at our command now, Zetsu. We can replace our members easily."

The black and white shinobi said, "Do you really think that any of these ninjas will be able to hold up as well as our previous members? It wasn't easy finding the guys we did, all of them were S-Ranked."

"Don't worry about it. I have my Tsukuyomi, after all."

This left Zetsu even more confused than before.

* * *

"The Jonin Trials? Sure, I won't mind."

Naruto had approached Sakura to ask her whether she would like to go for the Jonin Trials.

"But why are these trials being held all of a sudden? Shouldn't we be focusing on missions?"

Naruto couldn't be bothered to explain the same thing again and again, and simply said, "Ask Grandma Tsunade about it."

Sakura nodded. "So, is Ino going to participate?"

"Yeah, I talked her into it. She could easily become Tokujo, even if not Jonin right now."

Sakura put her fingers to her chin in thought, thinking about how she would sum up to Ino now. Naruto continued, "She did some chakra weight training too, ya know. After we were done with our own training. She's pretty strong now."

Just then, Kakashi appeared at the training ground they were talking in, "Yo!"

Naruto and Sakura looked at him in surprise. "Hey, sensei, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi gave them his patented eye smile and said, "Well, I'm going for the Jonin Trials this year, and I wondered whether you would be going as well."

His two students stared at him dumbfounded.

Naruto was the first to recover. "But…but Kakashi sensei, you're already a Jonin!"

The white haired Jonin realized that they didn't know about the Jonin Council rule. He said, "It is mandatory for every Jonin to give the Trials once every ten years, to prove that they are still worthy of the rank. It has been ten years since I last gave the exams, so I'm going to have to re-enter. Otherwise, I'll be demoted to Chunin."

Sakura whistled, "I didn't know that. I thought this would be a one-time thing like the Chunin rank."

Kakashi smiled. "If it were that easy, everyone would become Jonin and stay Jonin forever. All the old shinobi who have retired from service have been demoted to Chunin because they aren't as good as they were before."

Naruto said, "Wait, what about Pervy Sage?"

Kakashi said idly, "Jiraiya-san isn't part of our village anymore, officially at least. On paper, he left the village quite a while ago. So he doesn't have to give the test anymore. Although there isn't any doubt that he's still one of the toughest ninjas in the world."

A sudden thought occurred to Naruto and he said, "Does the Hokage have to give the exams as well?"

Kakashi nodded.

Naruto smiled. "I see."

He asked Sakura, "Was Lady Tsunade present for the last Jonin Trials?"

Sakura frowned, "How would I know? I'm a Chunin, remember? I've never participated in the Jonin Trials before."

Kakashi said, "She wasn't there. I was one of the proctors for the last exam, so I know."

"So that would mean that she would probably have to go for the Trials this time, or else she would be demoted, right?"

"Perhaps. But I'm sure Lady Tsunade still has the power to retain her rank."

Naruto smiled devilishly, "Provided she's not embarrassed to show up for them."

Sakura bonked him on the head. "You better not be up to any of your silly plans, Naruto."

He roared in pain and shouted, "I didn't even say anything!"

Kakashi turned and said, "Well, I'll be going now, gotta train. If you need me, I'll be at the mountain side, behind the Hokage Monument. And Naruto, can you inform Sasuke about the Jonin Trials as well?"

Naruto said, "Sure thing, sensei. And yeah, you remember about the mission, right?"

Kakashi nodded and disappeared.

Sakura said, "Well, I'm heading towards the hospital too, it's my shift now. Cya, Naruto." She headed off too.

Naruto headed over to the Uchiha compound to inform Sasuke about the Trials. However, the Uchiha was nowhere to be found.

"Hmm, must be off training somewhere on his own."

Naruto tried his luck, and as he expected, he found Sasuke in the Forest of Death.

As the boy watched, Sasuke jumped up into the air, and flung a quartet of shuriken. Immediately after, he threw a quartet of kunai, and they all perfectly hit the four shuriken. The four shuriken angled towards the targets that had been painted on the tree trunks around, and hit them all dead center.

Naruto clapped, and came out of his vantage point. Sasuke said, "What do you want?"

The blonde replied lazily, "If you love this place so much, why not stay here as well? You're here nearly all the time when you train alone."

Sasuke said, "It's easier to train here because there's no interference from others."

"You do know that training here is illegal unless you get permission from the Hokage."

"Does it look like I care?"

"I guess not. Anyway, I'm just here to inform you about the Jonin Trials. They are being held soon after we head back from our S-Ranked mission at the eastern seaboard of the country."

"Alright. If that's all, please leave now."

"Aww, don't be like that, I just got here."

Sasuke said, "If you're staying, then make yourself useful. Make some Shadow Clones and have them hide around the area. I'll find them and tag them."

Naruto grinned. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

About fifty clones spawned in the surrounding areas, and all of them took off, running around to hide in spots they could find nearby.

Sasuke gave them a minute's start, before heading after them. Naruto followed him, watching his moves closely.

The Uchiha paid no attention to the original Naruto, focusing on taking out all the clones with his Shuriken Jutsu. The fifty clones were taken out in a matter of minutes.

Sasuke turned towards the original and said, "If that is the best you can manage, you'll never make Jonin."

Naruto grinned. "My clones weren't exactly taking it seriously, ya know. I'm much better at hiding than this."

"Prove it."

"Alright, I will. Give me thirty seconds, and try to find me in less than five minutes. If you can find me in five minutes, well, there's nothing that I could give you that would really interest you, is there?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Just go."

Naruto took off, and Sasuke counted down the time, keeping his eyes focused on Naruto. The red clad figure soon disappeared into the trees, and Sasuke lost him.

After the thirty seconds were up, Sasuke quickly took to the trees in the same direction that Naruto had gone in. A few marks on the nearby trees gave away the direction he had headed in, and Sasuke snorted. He followed the disturbances and soon came upon…

"You?!"

Gamakichi waved at Sasuke and said, "Naruto says hi!"

Sasuke cursed under his breath at having been tricked, and scouted the area. Gamakichi said, "I wouldn't waste my time if I were you. Naruto has become an expert in hiding. And he was always an expert in playing the fool, so he can think of ways to troll you that you wouldn't even dream of."

Sasuke turned around and said, "If you're done talking, take off now. I don't want any distractions."

Gamakichi gave him the finger before disappearing into plumes of white smoke. Sasuke enabled his Sharingan, realizing that he had only a couple more minutes left to find the blonde. He thought, 'Well, this is Naruto after all. He would go in the place I would least expect him to…oh well."

Sasuke trained his eyes to the ground, and looked at the footsteps leading away from him.

'He knew I would take to the trees, so he fooled me by running on the trees first, before summoning that toad and then sticking to the ground. A good tactic, but now that I have his footprints, it'll be easy to find him.'

He ran at full speed, following the footprints. However, ten seconds later, the prints were gone. Sasuke instinctively looked up and saw a branch bent slightly out of shape. He followed it immediately.

However, after five minutes were gone, he still wasn't able to find the knucklehead. He stopped in a clearing, trying to track movements around him. Naruto's voice echoed out of nowhere, "Still think it's easy to find me?"

Sasuke said, "Alright, I'll admit it, you're good. Come on out."

Naruto grinned as he dropped out of the tree he was standing on. "Your Sharingan may give you an advantage, but it doesn't give you a 360 degree field of view. As long as I stay out of it, you can never find me."

"Quit talking like you're my teacher or something."

Naruto shrugged, "Just saying. You're not going to catch me that easily now."

Sasuke said, "We'll see about that. Now please go away, I want to train alone for a while."

The blonde nodded and took off, before heading towards his favorite training ground to get some TaiJutsu training of his own done.

* * *

Tsunade sat silently in her chair, sipping tea as she looked through some of the latest missions that had arrived from the various towns around the country. A knock on the door diverted her attention.

"Come in."

The door opened, and a masked shinobi walked in. He bowed before her.

Tsunade looked up and said, "Fancy seeing you here, Tenzo. Did you need something?"

The Wood Style user stood at attention and said, "Well, in light of recent events, we did not have much time to speak. What with the attack on the village and all the reconstruction, I could not really talk to you about what is on my mind."

Tsunade said, "Take a seat."

Tenzo sat down on one of the two new chairs in the office opposite to the Hokage's table. He said, "I was wondering why I did not receive the call to head out as the undercover operative in the Akatsuki. After all, I was supposed to be the one to replace Itachi, wasn't I?"

Tsunade nodded, and said, "The situation changed rapidly after Kisame Hoshigaki returned alongside Itachi. I had not expected that to happen. According to our current intel, there are only three members in the Akatsuki; that is, Zetsu, Deidara and Madara himself. And three people don't make much of an organization. Rather than sending an undercover agent, I decided to focus in finding them. However, that is no longer needed as we know their current location as well. So there is no longer any need for you to be concerned about going undercover."

Tenzo got up and bowed again, before saying, "Do you have any other assignments for me then?"

Tsunade smiled and said, "I did have something in mind, actually. Now that Itachi is in charge of the Root Foundation, I find the need for a good head of the ANBU itself. What do you think?"

Tenzo said, "Do you believe I can make a good leader of the ANBU?"

The Hokage replied, "I do."

"Then I will accept the job with all the responsibilities it carries."

Tsunade opened one of the drawers in her table and extracted a mask from within. It was a boar shaped mask. She walked over to Tenzo and he kneeled in front of her, as was the custom.

"Rise, Tenzo. As of now, you are the leader of the ANBU Black Ops division of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Serve the village well and never give me a chance to regret making this decision."

Tenzo accepted the mask and said, "By my honor, I will serve the village until I die."

He stood up and replaced his mask. Tsunade extended her hand and Tenzo shook it. The Hokage blinked and when her eyes opened, he was gone.

* * *

"So, you're going to be leaving tomorrow, I take it?"

"Yes, Jiraiya. And I'm counting on you to take care of things here while I'm gone."

"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it."

"Shizune will be here in case you need anything. If I hear a single complaint from her, I swear…"

"C'mon Tsuna, have I ever done anything that would cause the village to be in danger?"

Tsunade couldn't argue with that. She looked at Jiraiya as the two of them sat in Ichiraku's. He took a bite of ramen, and said with his mouth full, "I'd suggest you think up some attack formations if it comes to that. Team 7 is good at fighting, but they are going to go in blind in this one."

The blonde woman nodded, and said, "I was thinking about that myself too. I want to leave the village under the cover of night, so that no one will notice me leave. What do you think?"

"Excellent idea." said Jiraiya, "By the time morning arrives, you'll be well towards the eastern seaboard. If I might say so though, I'd like it if you left a day before. That way, you can reach there before time and make arrangements to retreat if it turns out necessary. This is an S-Ranked mission, after all. You can never be too careful in these situations."

Tsunade bit her lip as she thought about that suggestion. "But Gaara will have to be informed to be ready a day before as well. Hmm, that won't be a problem, now that we have Naruto, however. Alright, your idea holds merit. I'll get to it as soon as I'm back at Ninja Ops."

The two Sannin ate in silence for a while. After they were done, Jiraiya paid the bill and they exited the shop, walking to the Ninja Ops building together. Jiraiya looked straight ahead as he walked, and said, "Be careful, you know."

Tsunade glanced sideways at him, and smiled. She looked back straight ahead as well, and said, "Aren't I always?"

As they reached a fork in the road, she took the right and he took the left. Tsunade walked back to the Ninja Ops building, with a slight warmth spreading throughout her heart.

* * *

"I didn't learn the Hiraishin just so I could be used to transport people, ya know!" Naruto burst out in irritation.

Tsunade looked at him in annoyance, and said, "I know that, baka. Try to understand the situation. I need Gaara here a day before, so that we can make arrangements when we reach our destination, in order we need to get into a fight. I've already called him up and told him to be ready. I need you to go and get them to the Leaf so that we can leave as soon as possible. This isn't a request."

Naruto blew a raspberry at her, and Tsunade shouted, "Enough of that! I thought you had matured enough to understand the situation, but it seems that you still have a long way to go."

The boy shrugged and said, "Well, you can't expect me to be happy becoming a transporter in the middle of my training, do you?"

"Naruto, how many times have I asked you to transport anyone for me so far? Only twice. Don't get so high and mighty because you are needed for something."

"Alright, alright. When do I have to go?"

"Tomorrow. We leave tomorrow night, so go there tomorrow morning and get Gaara and his siblings from the Sand Village. We will be planning the mission until evening, and we will call the rest of you when we need to debrief you."

"Fine. Is that all? I need to get back to my training now."

Tsunade waved her hand to dismiss him, and he disappeared.

'Hmm, he seemed to be in a hurry. What's he up to?'

* * *

"Blood Clone Jutsu!"

Two blood clones split off from the pool of blood that Naruto had collected by cutting his forearm. They faced him, and he summoned Kitsune.

"Alright, guys, on three. One, two, three!"

The two clones charged at Naruto. He deftly dodged one of them by ducking under the clothesline that one of them aimed at his neck. At the same time, he swung his staff blade at the clone, extending it into the wind chakra powered broadsword simultaneously. It cleaved right through the clone, cutting it into half, before the clone was substituted with a log of wood. The other clone, meanwhile, had summoned its own shadow clones, and they attacked the real Naruto. He smiled at the tactic being used, and quickly began weaving through the attacks being directed towards him.

The shadow clones began popping one after the other as they were punched or kicked by the authentic knucklehead. In a matter of moments, the clones were gone, leaving only the two blood clones, who had used the time to create a Giant Rasengan.

Naruto stood tall, and said, "Bring it on!"

The two clones charged at him, and yelled out, "ODAMA RASENGAN!"

Naruto planted his feet firmly into the ground, and held out the Kitsune horizontally, with both his hands clutching either end of the staff blade. He held it out in front of him, arms extended, and the Rasengan clashed directly with the staff blade.

After a few seconds of grinding against the metal, the Rasengan unraveled, and the two clones quickly began attacking again, giving the original no room to think.

Naruto threw a smoke bomb to give himself some room. One of the clones quickly used the Giant Sweep-through Jutsu to clear away the smoke, but it gave the original enough time to prepare one of his own jutsus.

As the clones advanced towards him again, Naruto intoned, "Wind Style: Giant Breakthrough!"

A giant gale of wind rose in the air and directed itself towards the clones, who were unable to completely dodge it. The gale of wind, sharpened by Naruto's chakra, cut into their bodies, sending sprays of blood everywhere. One of the clones took the hit harder than the other, and turned back into the puddle of blood that he had been made of.

The other clone shrugged off the fact that he had lost his right arm, and made his way back to the original, using chakra to increase his speed. Naruto began to fight again, but just then…

"Hey, Naruto!"

The original looked to the right to see Ino running towards him. He stopped, as did the clone, and Ino came right up to Naruto, before clocking him hard in the ribs.

"What the fu…" Naruto sputtered as he was completely winded. As he clutched his stomach in pain, he saw the blood clone grin, and Ino transformed back into a copy of Naruto.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened; as Naruto soon realized. The blood clone had created a shadow clone in the little time the smoke bomb had affected the area, and then ordered the shadow clone to transform into Ino, outside the range of their fight, so that Naruto would not be able to sense anything.

'My clones are pretty intelligent, I gotta hand it to them.'

Naruto got up and bowed, signaling the end of the training session. The blood clone and shadow clone released themselves.

Naruto lay down on the ground, giving himself some time to think about the fight and what tactics he could have used to make the fight go his way much faster. This was something he had picked up from Kakashi. His mind trailed back to one of the training sessions they had had with Kakashi as Team 7.

"_Always analyze your battles, whether you win or lose. There is always scope for improvement. Only by analyzing your fights will you ever be able to know where you could go wrong in the future, and correct it by training in that area. Understand?"_

Naruto got back up, and decided that it was time to focus on his Kekkei Genkai training for a while now. Ever since Sasuke had returned to the village, Naruto's training time had been cut effectively in half, and he hadn't progressed in his Kekkei Genkai as much as he would have liked.

"Alright, time to get out some of the advanced scrolls."

Unlike most other training, which usually required physical exercise of some form, Naruto's Kekkei Genkai had to be learnt mostly from the scrolls that he had gathered from his village. He made a mental note in his mind to go searching for more scrolls when he showed Ino the village.

The knucklehead had started making clones in order to get his reading up to speed, even as he himself sparred with Sasuke, or practiced his NinJutsu and GenJutsu. This allowed him to effectively do two things at once, increasing his power exponentially. Through the scrolls, he had also started learning a lot about his ancestry, and the history between the Uzumakis and the Senjus.

Just as Naruto was about to begin, he heard his name being called. He looked towards where the sound was coming from.

"Oh, hey Konohamaru. What brings you here?"

"Hi, bro. It's been a while since we met, you know. I wanted to see how you were doing. I heard that you're going to be taking part in the Jonin Trials to be held soon."

Naruto frowned slightly. "Where did you hear that from?"

Konohamaru smiled and replied, "I heard Lady Hokage talking about it when she was visiting the hospital. I was heading to Iguromo's shop from there and I heard her saying that she didn't expect you to make full Jonin yet, although she strongly felt that you could ace Tokujo with no problems."

Naruto didn't know whether to feel proud or bad about that, so he did neither. What he did say was, "How's your training going, Ko? I hope you're not slacking off because you've been made Chunin now. Have you?"

"Are you kidding? I've intensified my training even more now, since I have to catch up to you, after all."

Naruto smiled. "Let's see what you've got, then."

Konohamaru grinned, "Alright."

* * *

"Welcome, Gaara. Please, come in."

Gaara stepped into the Hokage's office, along with his siblings and his mentor Baki. Naruto simply saluted Tsunade and took off. He had brought the Sand village shinobi from their village early morning the day after he had sparred with Konohamaru. For sake of security, however, and for official clearance, Naruto had to bring them to the gates of the village, instead of directly to the Hokage's office.

Tsunade said, "Well, let's get straight to it, then. As I have told Gaara already, we shall be moving out a day early, in order to set up shop beforehand in case something goes wrong. This was suggested by Jiraiya, and I agree to it."

Temari and Kankuro both nodded appreciatively; this was a good tactic. Baki folded his hands together, and said impassively, "Do you think that there is any chance of the Mizukage attacking us?"

Tsunade replied casually, "Not at all. I truly believe that she wishes to become our ally. However, as ninjas, we must be prepared for every situation."

Baki seemed satisfied with that. He said, "Is there any spot in particular where we would have the advantage?"

Tsunade nodded. She had sent some ANBU members ahead to scout out the area and find spots where they could retreat easily. As the Sand shinobi looked on, she pointed those spots on the map she had spread out on her table.

Kankuro spoke, "What if the Mizukage thinks along the same lines and comes early?"

Tsunade smiled, "Well, then, even better for us. We can get straight to things even faster."

Gaara said, "I believe that the Mizukage will arrive on time, not before or after. This is her proposal, after all."

Temari looked thoughtful at that. She said, "Well, we don't know what her plans are, so we can only assume it. I know that you two Kages have discussed this a lot and do not think that she will attack, but like Lady Tsunade said, we have to be ready for anything."

The five of them began discussing various tactics as the sun reached its zenith.

* * *

Kakashi stood in silence as he usually did at the Memorial Stone, mourning the loss of his best friends, and teammates. The sun began to set, and he whispered softly, "Wish me luck, Obito, Rin. I'll be back soon."

He turned around and began walking towards Ninja Ops, where his team had been told to assemble at sunset. As he turned a corner around the Inuzuka complex, he saw Naruto and Ino running towards the same place as well, and called out to them.

Naruto looked behind, and smiled, "Hey, Kakashi sensei. Are you ill or something?"

Kakashi frowned, "No, why? Do I look ill?"

Naruto shook his head and laughed, "It's just that I was surprised that you were actually making an effort to arrive on time, so I thought you must be feverish or something."

Ino pulled Naruto's ear hard, and said, "Don't go disrespecting your seniors, Naruto."

"Owww, owww, alright! Geez."

The three of them headed towards Ninja Ops together, and Kakashi said, "Ino, are you joining Naruto in the Jonin Trials?"

Ino nodded, "Naruto said I have a good chance of at least becoming a Tokujo."

"I see. That is still a fine rank to hold. What are you weak in that you won't become full Jonin?"

"NinJutsus, and a little KenJutsu."

"Well, if you want, I can teach you a few NinJutsus to get your game up."

Naruto said, "Of course! Ino, who can teach you better NinJutsus than the ninja who has copied over a thousand of them?"

The platinum blonde girl smiled and said, "Thanks you, Kakashi sensei. I appreciate it. I guess we can start training when we get back to the village."

Kakashi gave her his eye smile. They soon reached the main building of the Ninja Ops, and found Sasuke and Sakura standing outside. They joined up with everyone and headed into the building down into the interrogation chambers.

Tsunade said, "Alright, heads up for everyone who doesn't know. The Mizukage is a skilled fighter with two Kekkei Genkais. In case of an attack, do not engage her unless you are sure you have an advantage. We don't know what kind of bodyguards she will be bringing to the summit but I am pretty sure that they will all be the best that the Mist has to offer. Is that understood?"

Everyone nodded. Gaara spoke, "Since Team 7 is a heavy combat team, they will be accompanying us to the meet, while my team will provide backup. Temari and Kankuro will be just outside our visual range, waiting in case anything goes wrong. Baki will be next to me as my right hand man."

Tsunade continued, "Kakashi, you will be next to me as my right hand. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, you three will be standing guard around us. Ino, I want you to go with Temari and Kankuro. Is that ok?"

Ino nodded determinedly. She looked at Temari and smiled, the two of them had become friends of sorts when the Sand blonde had been working with Shikamaru during the Chunin Exams.

Tsunade looked at her watch. "Five minutes to go. If anyone needs anything, now is your chance to go get it." No one moved a muscle.

"Very well. Let's go, then."

The group of ten took to the rooftops, running casually towards the gates of the village. The gate guards had been informed about this leave and smartly saluted Tsunade and Gaara as they ran past. Tsunade ignored it, but Gaara smiled at them and nodded as he ran past.

As they reached outside the village, they broke up into two teams, with Naruto heading alongside the Sand team to equalize the number of people. They split into two custom diamond formations, with the Kages in middle.

On the Leaf side, Tsunade was in the middle, with Kakashi in front, Ino and Sakura on either sides, and Sasuke bringing up the rear. On the Sand side, Gaara stood in the middle, with Naruto in the front, Kankuro and Temari on either side, and Baki in the back.

With the formations in place, the two groups left for the rendezvous point in the cover of night. Since the rendezvous was in the Land of Fire itself, they knew the landscape well, and were able to travel easily even in the low visibility. The Sand team followed the Leaf team and stayed close to each other.

As it began to dawn into a new day, the team reached the point which had been marked on their map by Tsunade's scouts. Gaara pointed out to a cave nearby and said, "We can set up a temporary shelter here in case anyone is wounded."

Naruto took out a pouch, and handed out a kunai to everyone. They all looked in surprise at the three headed kunai, which was supposedly the favored kunai of the Fourth Hokage. Tsunade smiled as she saw the handle marked with the Hiraishin formula.

"I've improved the formula by adding a chakra pressure formula around it, so in case any of you are in trouble and need to be extracted, simply push some of your chakra into it and I'll know where you are instantly. That way I don't need to run around everywhere trying to find you guys in case we get separated."

"Impressive," Baki said.

"Thank you," Naruto smiled. "Alright, what's next? Are we going to wait here for now, or should we scout out a little?"

Tsunade said, "Let's set up some shelters here and then we can take to keeping a watch as well as scouting around the area."

Over the next couple of hours, the shelters were assembled and then everyone split off into two man teams to either keep a watch around the shelters, or to patrol the surrounding areas. Temari and Kankuro took the first patrol, and Naruto and Ino took the second. Sakura, to her delight, was paired with Sasuke, and Kakashi went off with Baki.

Tsunade and Gaara stayed at the shelter, discussing some of their own political matters. They were seated on the floor opposite to each other around a small square table that Naruto always carried in one of his scrolls.

"Gaara, what do you think about the state of the Land of Grass?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't been able to gather any intel from there recently."

"I'm thinking that something has gone wrong in there. The ninjas from their country are much more hostile to outsiders all of a sudden."

"We should probably look into it after this is done."

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing. I want Jiraiya to go in there, he can investigate. And I wanted to know, what about the Jonin Trials? Are you making preparations to hold the trials in your village?" Tsunade asked.

Gaara nodded, "I've already got a list of hopefuls who are vying to try out for Jonin. And some of the older Jonins have to give the trials again as well. It would be beneficial for our village to do this."

Tsunade smiled. "That's one less thing to worry about, then. Oh yes, I probably should inform you, you know that Nagato, who masqueraded as Pein in the Akatsuki is now in our village, right?"

Gaara nodded. "I wondered when you were going to bring this topic out."

Tsunade said, "It seems that Pein was in control of the Amegakure, so now that he is no more, it would appear that the village is now in our control."

The Kazekage frowned. "I thought that the village was controlled by Hanzo of the Salamander."

Tsunade replied, "So did I, until Nagato confirmed that Hanzo was dead. Rather, Hanzo was killed by Nagato himself."

"I see. Well, then, what are your plans regarding that country? They have also been very hostile towards the outsiders. No ninjas from any other country are currently allowed in there."

Tsunade said, "I've been thinking about it for a while now and I want Nagato to head back there and become the leader of that village. That way, we can operate in that area without any hostility, and he can help keep other countries out of that area. What do you think?"

Gaara pondered over that. The Village hidden in the Rain was nothing short of a fortress, with its giant walls, and forbidding weather. It was the neighbor of the Fire, Wind as well as the Earth countries, providing easy access to anyone who controlled the area. For the Hidden Leaf Village to be in control of this region would make it easy to control the surrounding areas as well.

"I think it would be extremely advantageous for us to retain control of the village. I guess the situation there right now is that of confusion, with no leader present to oversee things."

Tsunade nodded. "If we take control of the Amegakure, we can keep tabs on Kusagakure as well. And Takigakure are already our allies."

Gaara nodded and said, "Which means that you would only need to influence Tanigakure now. Orochimaru and Kabuto, by virtue of being dead, have given you control of the Hidden Sound. Yugakure has stopped harboring ninjas, and transitioned into a peaceful village, thus allying itself with you by default."

Tsunade said, "We are both neighbors to Tanigakure. No doubt, they must be pressured by the burden of being next to two of the greater nations. If we could persuade them together, we might be able to procure an alliance with them as well. That way, Iwagakure would be completely isolated, unless Kusagakure sides with them."

Gaara nodded. "That is a good idea. The Tsuchikage is getting too old to think straight. He still lives in the past and believes in war rather than peace. Until a new and more rational Tsuchikage is chosen, I believe that it would be best to isolate them from getting any help from other countries."

Tsunade leant back a little, putting her body weight on her hands, and stretched her back. "If the Mizukage truly wants to ally with us, then the only enemy that leaves us with would be Kumogakure. Looking at the map, I can see that Yugakure will not be able to withstand an assault from it, since they no longer have any ninjas. I suppose if any problems occur there, I will have to step in first."

Gaara said, "But Yugakure is not neighboring to Kumo. Shimogakure comes between the two of them. I think you should place an outpost in Shimogakure to make sure that you have knowledge of any Kumo actions in that area."

The Hokage nodded. Then she suddenly recalled something and said, "What about Ishigakure? They are on the border between you and Iwa."

Gaara seemed unperturbed by the mention of that name, as he said, "They aren't a problem. My father allied them with us a long time ago, and they have been faithful to us. They also maintain a neutral position between the two greater nations, and allow passage from their country freely for us. However, they are very strict on one rule. If any harm comes to their village, either directly or indirectly, all alliances will be forgotten and will kill all those who harmed the village."

"I see. That is one alliance you should work on, Gaara. If any of your shinobi causes trouble even by mistake, the alliance would break. And knowing Iwa, they will probably try to capitalize on that instantly."

Gaara looked at her thoughtfully. "I guess that is true. Very well, I shall put it on my list of things to do when we return. I would suggest that you also get to work on putting a small operative force in Shimogakure."

Tsunade nodded.

* * *

Early the next morning, Naruto and Ino stood watch out on the eastern seaboard. A sudden movement caught Naruto's eye, and he quickly called Sasuke. The Uchiha enabled his Mangekyo Sharingan to get a better view.

"Seven chakra signatures, all heading this way. It must be them."

Tsunade came out and said, "That sounds about right. The Mizukage said she would be coming with six bodyguards."

She turned around and faced the rest of them, "Alright, everyone. You know your roles and positions. Let's go."

Everyone got up and readied themselves. Tsunade, Gaara, Baki and Kakashi went up to the top of the cliff on the eastern seaboard where they could be easily seen. They waited there for the Mizukage to show up. Sasuke and Naruto stood behind them, with Sakura in between. Temari, Ino and Kankuro stood a couple of hundred meters behind, stationed in a tree to get a good field of view.

Sasuke said, "They're here."

Tsunade and Gaara looked down from the cliff, and saw the Mizukage standing on the shore of the Land of Fire. Six ninjas stood behind her.

Kakashi said, "That looks like Ao."

Tsunade nodded. "She did bring her best with her. Look at that child. He's wielding one of the Seven Swords. I reckon it's the Hiramekarai. Be careful. I don't know about the rest of these guys."

The group from the Mist village ascended the cliff where Tsunade and Gaara stood. Once they reached up, the Mizukage walked calmly forward and extended her hand to the Hokage.

Tsunade shook her hand, and said, "Welcome to the Land of Fire, Mei."

Mei smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to be here." She turned to Gaara and shook his head as well. "I must say, I knew that the Kazekage was young but I didn't expect him to be so handsome."

Gaara blushed faintly at the compliment, but didn't allow it to faze him. Tsunade said, "Shall we?"

Mei and Gaara nodded. Kakashi quickly unsealed a scroll which housed a small pavilion to sit in.

Tsunade and Gaara entered first, to prove that there was no conspiracy being hatched by them. Mei entered last, along with all her bodyguards. They stood firmly behind her, showing remarkable discipline.

Kakashi stood behind Tsunade, and Baki behind Gaara. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke stood outside the pavilion, on three sides. This left one side open, which was the side being watched by the support team.

"So, Mei, what is it that made you think about allying with the two of us?"

The young Mizukage said, "Exactly the reason I stated in my letter. I wish to allow my village to prosper by opening up trade and relations with your countries. There has always been some amount of hostility between the Mist and the other great nations, which is something I have always wanted to change."

Gaara said, "Allying with the Leaf will provide you a giant advantage. Why choose the Sand village, though? We cannot provide you anything that would make for a good alliance."

Mei smiled and said, "As you know, the purpose of an alliance in the ninja world is not only to help our villages prosper. It is also a military alliance, which is something that the Mist currently needs in spades. I have put the old exam practices aside, which gave our village the name 'The Bloody Mist.' However, we still haven't harbored a good amount of ninjas that can hold up against one of the larger nations in a war, should there be one. I believe that if I announce an alliance with both the Leaf as well as the Sand, enemies, namely Kumogakure, will think twice before attacking us."

Tsunade leant forward, placing her elbows on the table. She intertwined her fingers and rested her cheek on them, saying, "Your village probably has the best defenses in the world. Why would you worry about being attacked by anyone?"

Mei said, "Recent changes in Kumogakure have not gone unnoticed by me, Lady Tsunade. I know that Uchiha Madara is now the leader of that village. How he is still alive is something that eludes me, but I am not foolish enough to believe that my village's defenses can keep out someone who was strong enough to fight against Hashirama Senju."

'Ah, there it is. She does know the situation and wants an alliance since she knows she cannot hold out against Madara. Well, who would be able to hold up against him anyway?' Tsunade thought.

Gaara said, "That seems a reasonable answer. I have one more question. According to you, the alliance will open up trade between our countries. Does this mean that we will be able to use the waterways that have long since been controlled by your village?"

Mei smiled and said, "I am pretty sure we can work something out."

Tsunade laughed, "I like your attitude, Mei. This is exactly the sort of thing that Kages should be doing, allying rather than fighting. It is indeed, what my grandfather tried to do so many years ago."

Mei said, "Very well, then. Shall I proceed with the political aspects of the alliance? I suppose that you would like to know what proposals I have." Tsunade nodded.

Mei pulled out a sheaf of papers, and said, "I have drawn up an initial deal that I think you will find enticing. If you would go over it, and suggest changes, we can get down to it right now."

A few boring hours later, Tsunade and Mei finally stopped haggling over the trade percentages and mission pricings. Gaara had long since stopped talking, and was wondering why he had even bothered to come here. 'Women. Is there no limit to how much they can speak at any given time?'

Tsunade said, "Let's make it official, then. Gaara, you haven't said anything in a while, are you sure you agree with these terms?"

Gaara nodded in boredom. Far away, Kankuro guffawed as he saw his brother's sleepy face, and said, "I'm sure Gaara didn't expect to be stuck there for so long. Imagine the situation, those two women are boring even an insomniac to sleep." Temari smiled.

Finally, all the important papers were signed, and the agreements were complete. Tsunade and Gaara both got up, as did Mei. They all shook hands again, and Tsunade said, "Congratulations, Mizukage. You are now allied with the Leaf and Sand villages."

Mei said, "Thank you, Hokage and Kazekage. I am sure that this alliance will prove to be useful to all our villages."

She winked as Gaara as she turned around, and he snapped out of his trance with a jerk. Mei laughed as she walked off, her bodyguards following her.

Tsunade also smiled, thanking the stars that everything had gone smoothly. Kakashi said, "That was a very good agreement you got there, Lady Tsunade."

The Hokage smirked at him, "I knew my gambling skills would come to use someday, right, Kakashi?"

Kakashi sealed the pavilion back into its scroll. Sakura and Sasuke walked up to them, and Naruto…

"**OY, NARUTO**!"

The knucklehead jerked awake. He had fallen asleep while standing upright. He went into his fighting stance instantly, before he realized that the Mizukage was nowhere around.

"Did everything go smoothly?"

Tsunade came over and clocked him hard on the head. "I should demote you to Genin, you idiot! How can you sleep on an S-Ranked mission?!"

Naruto yawned. "Well, in the first hour or so, I realized that everything was going well, so I decided not to worry so much. And if anything did happen, the noise would have woken me up anyway."

Tsunade gave it up. She gathered everyone and called the support team. Together, they dismantled their shelter and decided to head back.

"Grandma, I'll be back in a couple of days, alright?"

"You better get back soon, I'm not going to wait for you if you're late for the Jonin Trials."

Naruto gave her a thumbs up and waved everyone else goodbye as they took off into the trees.

"Now, Ino, shall we get going?"

Ino smiled. "Let's."

* * *

Deidara sighed as he flew towards the nearest Akatsuki hideout. It had been easy enough to capture the Three Tails, which had no Jinchuuriki, but the tough part was getting it to the base. The giant beast was impossible to bring along by himself, so Deidara had brought out some of his strongest clay, created a dinosaur with a wide back, and hoisted the Tailed Beast onto it, before getting atop a bird and flying overhead to ensure that the coast was clear.

Ever since the Akatsuki had lost most of their members, the Tsuchikage had taken it upon himself to try and eradicate the rest of them, presumably so that no one would ever know that he had made use of them in the past.

"Stupid old geezer…I wonder how he's not keeled over and died yet."

As he reached the hideout, Zetsu popped out of the ground and waved at him. "Oy, Deidara, over here."

A vein pulsed on Deidara's forehead. "I KNOW WHERE THE HIDEOUT IS!"

"Geez, what's got you so upset?" Zetsu asked.

"Shut up, I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone. Go and tell Madara that his Tailed Beast is here. I'm out of here, I need to go kill someone."

Zetsu said, "Don't you think you should wait for Madara in case he has any orders?"

Deidara gave Zetsu the finger and walked off.

Zetsu stared at the receding figure of Deidara and Black Zetsu spoke, "We need to inform Madara of this. Deidara needs to be put into place. And quickly."

White Zetsu nodded and the two of them disappeared through the ground.

Deidara walked over to one of his favorite haunts, a small diner at the border of the Land of Fire. He put his hat on so that he would not be recognized, and entered the diner.

"May I take your order, sir?"

"One medium ramen, no toppings."

"It'll be right out."

The waitress disappeared to the back of the diner, leaving Deidara alone with his thoughts.

_'The situation has changed recently. The Akatsuki is no longer the organization that I joined. Pein and Konan have deserted us. Itachi and Kisame are no longer to be found. I suspect they've deserted as well, since the two of them were going to capture the Three Tails, not me. Hidan, Kakuzu, Sasori are all dead. Zetsu is the only one who remains loyal to the Akatsuki, which is run by someone who claims to be Madara. He does have the Sharingan, but somehow I don't believe that he is the legendary Uchiha._

_Is this what I signed up for? I wasn't sure that I wanted to even join this organization when Sasori and Itachi first came for me, but I've been part of it for a long time now. Is it still worth it being part of them? Our plans for releasing the Ten Tails are pretty much shattered, what with only three of us remaining here. Three people cannot extract Tailed Beasts. And unless Madara manages to find replacements for all those we have lost, I believe that there is no profit in being part of this organization anymore.'_

A bowl of ramen was placed in front of him. Deidara picked up his chop sticks and began eating, without even noticing the taste of the food.

_'But will Madara ever be able to find replacements for people like Sasori or Hidan? Who can take their places? Things aren't looking too good for us right now. What should I do? I don't want to even be part of this anymore. It's just not worth the effort. And for what? All so Madara can do something grandiose at our efforts' expense? I don't think so. I'm going to go and tell Madara that I'm out. I was better off practicing my art and using it as a mercenary.'_

Deidara choked as he took a particularly large bite of ramen. A glass of water was instantly placed in front of him, and he drank it thankfully. He turned his attention a little more towards his food, but a thousand thoughts were still running through his brain.

_'This…Madara, he won't take the news nicely. I'm going to need some sort of plan before dropping a bomb like that on him. Or maybe, I can tell him that I'll be off doing my own thing for a while. That might bail me out without facing trouble.'_

As he pushed the empty bowl aside, Deidara's face was set firmly.

"I don't need to be part of this organization anymore. I'm going to tell Madara that I quit."

"Oh really?"

Deidara looked up in shock. Madara was sitting right in front of him. The blonde had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice it.

Madara leant forward with his elbows on the table. "What is it that makes you want to quit the Akatsuki?"

Deidara got over his shock and said, "I just don't think that my time is well utilized in the Akatsuki anymore. I've wasted a lot of time, and with all of our members gone, it feels like a fool's errand now."

Madara sat back, and said, "You know I can't just let you go."

Deidara nodded. "I know. But I'd rather be dead a free man rather than a living slave of an organization that has no more reason to even exist."

Madara's head moved up slightly; Deidara guessed that the man was impressed by that statement.

"What will you do if you quit the Akatsuki?"

"I'll go back to being the mercenary I was."

"Then what if I offer you a deal? You can be free of the Akatsuki, and I shall only call on you if I need you for something large. How about that?"

"Will you remove the seal?"

Madara hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

Deidara thought about it, and then said, "Fine. This arrangement works for me."

Madara put his hands together, and formed the Tiger seal. A moment later, Deidara felt as if a weight was being lifted from his torso, and knew that the seal had been removed.

"You know, I've always wondered. What is the purpose of this seal? Is it to locate us wherever we are? If so, then why haven't you been able to find Itachi and the others?"

Madara said, "This seal was never meant to locate others. It was meant to give a call to the others whenever I needed, so that they would know that I wished to communicate with them. The others replied with the Astral Projection Jutsu. I can still call on the other members, but they will not answer the call, of course."

Deidara scoffed, "So old fashioned. You do know that we live in a modern world, right. Cell phones are available nowadays, even the Leaf village has started making use of them."

Madara replied casually, "Cell phones don't work everywhere. The seal does. Anyway, since you're no longer part of the Akatsuki, you no longer need the seal. Zetsu will find you whenever I need you for something."

Deidara nodded stiffly, and got up. He went to the counter and paid the bill, before leaving the diner. At the door, he looked back and said, "I really hope I never see you again."

"The feelings are mutual."


	52. Chapter 52: The Jonin Trials, Part 1

**Author's Note: Guess who's back, guys! Cannonballer here with another chapter for you today, and I don't have much to say except that it is so good to be back! I missed all of you good people out there who read my fic and enjoy it. I put a lot of time into today's chapter, so I do hope that you like it. If you do, you know where to write the review! You DO, don't you? Hmm...I wonder... ****Anyway, hope you like the chapter and all that jazz, and I'll leave you to jump right into it! Happy Reading!**

**Chapter 52: The Jonin Trials, Part 1**

Tsunade was annoyed. Naruto and Ino had been gone for more than five days now, and he hadn't been receiving any calls. "Where on earth is he? I told him to be here as soon as possible. His phone's probably discharged by now. I wonder…he's not in any trouble, is he?"

A sudden thought occurred to Tsunade. Naruto was still the Nine Tails Jinchuuriki. What if Madara was out to get him?

'As strong as Naruto is now, I don't think he can face off against Madara and win. I need to do something.'

Tsunade sent out the smoke signal she had installed in her office to alert the ANBU that she had requested for their leader. A few minutes later, Tenzo was standing in front of her.

"Tenzo, I want you to head to the area where I met the Mizukage last week. Naruto and Ino went to the Land of Whirlpools and haven't returned yet. They should have been back a couple of days ago. I was shrugging it off because we are talking about Naruto, after all. But if he's found some trouble that even he can't handle, then I…" she trailed off in nervousness.

Tenzo bowed quickly and said, "I understand, Lady Tsunade. I shall head out immediately."

Tsunade said, "Take Kakashi with you. I don't want to take any chances at all."

Tenzo nodded, happy that he would be working with his senpai once again. He quickly exited the building and headed to Kakashi's house. Fortunately, the white haired Jonin was at home, relaxing after a rigorous workout.

"Hello, Tenzo. Come in."

"I'm afraid there's no time for that, Kakashi-senpai. Naruto was supposed to return to the village two days ago, but he hasn't yet returned. Lady Tsunade is worried that he might be in danger, and has asked the two of us to track his whereabouts and bring him back."

"I understand. Give me five minutes to prepare myself."

Kakashi whirled into his bedroom, while Tenzo waited patiently in the hall for him.

Five minutes later, Kakashi was ready, and nodded to Tenzo. The two of them left instantly, running at full speed. They slowed down at the gates, but the guards waved them past. Kotetsu said, "Lady Tsunade told us you'd be passing. Hurry up."

Kakashi gave him a two-fingered salute and the two of them resumed their run towards the eastern seaboard.

Tenzo glanced sideways at his mentor. Kakashi noticed and said, "What's the matter, Tenzo?"

The new ANBU captain said, "You were with Naruto during the mission, right?"

Kakashi nodded. Tenzo said, "Did you have your Sharingan enabled during the mission?"

"Of course. It was an S-Ranked mission, after all."

"Well, then, did you see any Nine Tails chakra in Naruto's system, by any chance?"

Kakashi understood what Tenzo was worried about and said, "Don't worry, Tenzo. Naruto's grown much more now, and is able to control the Nine Tails up to a certain extent. He won't go on any rampages, I can assure you of that."

Tenzo said thoughtfully, "Although…Now that Naruto is older, I wonder if he can learn to completely control the chakra of the Nine Tails…"

He trailed off in thought, leaving Kakashi a host of new ideas.

Kakashi thought, 'I wonder if Master Jiraiya will be up for this task…Hmm, I need to ask him if **he** can teach Naruto.'

The two of them traveled non-stop until they reached the eastern seaboard. However, there was no sign of either the knucklehead or the platinum blonde. Kakashi sighed; this was going to be a pain. 'I wonder if I should get a reverse Hiraishin tag made by Naruto to call him whenever I need.'

He said, "Come on, Tenzo, we're heading towards the Land of Whirlpools."

The ANBU captain nodded.

* * *

Sakura and Sasuke sat on a bench near the entrance of the village. Sasuke said, "Thanks for helping me out with my training."

Sakura smiled, "Don't mention it. I was glad I could actually help."

Sasuke nodded slightly, saying, "Four years ago, I never would have thought that you would actually become this powerful. I can say that much, Sakura, that you have truly proven yourself to me."

The pinkette blushed, but only slightly. She said, "Well, you did make me understand that being a loser fan-girl was going to get me nowhere. That is why I trained so hard, to show you, and everyone, what I'm made of."

Sasuke said, "If you are free, let's get some lunch, shall we? The training has made me quite hungry."

Sakura just caught herself before she jumped in joy. She thought, 'Sasuke actually asked me out to lunch! Wow! But I can't get too excited, or he'll just go back to ignoring me. I'll pretend to be normal.'

She said, "Alright, let's go. I'm famished as well."

The two of them enjoyed a meal together, making some small talk about their adventures during the time they had been separated. After lunch, Sasuke said, "Thank you, Sakura. You have done a lot for me from a long time. I never really got the opportunity to return the favor."

Sakura said, "Don't be silly. I haven't done anything for you."

Sasuke said quietly, "You may not have realized it, but in our time together as Team 7, I became a much better person than I was before. Before the Sound nins poisoned my mind, I was actually considering forgiving Itachi, and settling into the Leaf permanently…I wonder what would be the situation had I never gone with them."

Sakura put her hand on his shoulder. She was glad that he didn't shrug it off. She said, "I'm sure you would have been a fine shinobi. You always were the best in our class anyway."

The Uchiha said, "I guess. Alright, I need to get some rest now. I'm heading home. I'll see you tomorrow, hmm?"

Sakura nodded. Sasuke turned around and began walking home.

"Uhh…Sasuke?"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive Itachi?"

The boy frowned at the sudden question. He said, "I...I honestly don't know. I fought him, won too, but... it didn't really give me any satisfaction. The wound he gave me has healed, but I will always be scarred for life. And I don't know if I will ever be able to let go of the feeling that he murdered my parents. His parents. Our parents."

Sakura nodded. "I understand. Just…think about it. You won against him, you got your vengeance. You know why he did it. For the sake of the village. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe if he hadn't done it, the other clans of the village would have done it anyway. He probably saved them the pain of brutal deaths."

Sasuke froze. He had never thought about it in that way. What if Sakura was right? What if Itachi had spared all the Uchihas a painful death by ending them painlessly?

He said, "I'll think about it, Sakura, thanks. I'll see you soon."

He turned around and walked away.

* * *

"INO, DUCK!"

The blonde kunoichi ducked as soon as she heard Naruto's yell. A giant demon wind shuriken flew over her head. Naruto jumped in front of her, pulling her behind him.

"Well, well, well. I didn't expect this to take so long."

Naruto roared, "JUST WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

As the dust cleared in front of Naruto, a shadowy figure emerged out of it, wearing a black cloak with red clouds on it. The figure was arguably a man's, and his face was covered with a mask sporting an orange spiraling design.

"Me? You don't need to know, not when you're about to die soon anyway."

Naruto was frustrated. This guy had attacked them out of nowhere as they were returning to the village after a long vacation in the Uzushiogakure. He had been able to slip through every attack that Naruto had pulled.

Ino whispered quietly, "Naruto, we need to get out of here. This guy's jutsu…it's something that we've never seen before. He's able to simply dodge any of our attacks."

Naruto glanced behind and said, "You know I never run from a fight. He started it, I'm going to finish it."

Before he could say anything else, Madara Uchiha attacked again, with frightening speed. Naruto blocked his uppercut and tried a right cross to his opponent's face. To his utter disbelief, his hand passed right through the head of the Akatsuki robes clad shinobi.

Madara took advantage of Naruto's confusion, and slammed his palm into the boy's stomach, sending a giant spurt of chakra into it as he did. Naruto coughed up blood as he flew back into Ino, and the two of them tumbled backwards.

Ino stood up quickly, and took the front. She looked back at Naruto quickly, "What happened to you? That shouldn't have hurt you so badly."

Naruto wheezed, "He thrust chakra into my system. It was like my tenketsu was flooded with his chakra for a few seconds. Knocked the wind out of me."

Ino looked back at Madara. 'This guy is dangerous. He's on a completely different level than we have ever seen before. I don't believe that even Naruto can take him on easily. Even with Sage Mode. We need to retreat.'

She pulled out a smoke bomb from her leg pouch, and prepared to throw it, but Madara said, "Don't even try, it will do you no good."

Naruto stood up slowly, still breathing heavily. "Dammit. I'm sure being taught a good lesson here. Oh wait, I almost forgot!"

Naruto pulled out his trusty scroll and opened it with a flourish, smearing some blood from his lip onto it. A cloud of smoke went up, revealing Kitsune.

Ino said, "Naruto, are you ever going to use the scabbard I got you?"

Naruto scratched his head sheepishly, "Sorry, Ino-chan. I'll get to it as soon as we get home." He wielded Kitsune and came back in front. Ino stood to his side this time.

Madara laughed, "You think that a staff-blade is going to help you against me?"

Naruto smirked, "Why don't you try me and find out for yourself?"

Madara stopped laughing abruptly. "Give yourself up, Uzumaki Naruto, before I seriously hurt you."

Ino laughed. Madara looked at her, and she said proudly, "My fiancée doesn't know the meaning of giving up."

Madara sighed, and pulled a kunai out of his belt pouch. "Well, looks like you give me no choice."

He rushed over towards Naruto, who brandished the staff blade at him. Madara laughed; Naruto wasn't even close enough to reach him, let alone swing that toy at him. But his eyes widened as he saw the chakra emanating from the staff blade when it suddenly manifested into a giant broadsword. The front of the cloak tore as the wind chakra sliced into it, and Madara was barely able to dodge it. He felt his stomach leak a few drops of blood.

'That was close. The boy knows how to kill, that's for sure.'

Madara sent chakra to his stomach to help heal it. He assessed the situation again, looking at the weapon with some amount of respect.

'It seems that he has designed this weapon himself. Incredible. I need to think this through.'

Naruto wasn't going to give him that chance, though. Now that he had seen some damage inflicted on Madara, he knew that the man could be defeated. He rushed to the man with insane speed, and tried to cut the Uchiha's head off. To his dismay, however, the wind broadsword went right through Madara.

'Grrr, he's doing that weird trick of his again. I hate that!'

Madara retreated a few meters, and wondered what would penetrate this defense of Naruto's. However, he suddenly noticed two chakra signatures approaching at rapid speed.

"It seems that you win this time, Uzumaki. But on my word, we will meet again. And I won't go as easy on you the next time."

As Naruto ran towards him, the Uchiha disappeared in a swirl. The knucklehead roared in frustration. Ino came over to him and said, "Forget it, Naruto. He was much stronger than you. You almost got him with Kitsune but he even knows that trick now. Let it go. Kakashi sensei and someone else is coming."

Naruto turned towards the chakra signatures, which were growing stronger every second. "It's Captain Yamato with him. Ah yes, Grandma Tsunade must've sent them, she must be worried why we were gone for so long."

Kakashi and Tenzo burst into the clearing, armed with kunai. They looked at Naruto and Ino, and said, "Where is he?"

Naruto said, "Gone. Vanished into thin air."

Kakashi put down his kunai and said, "Who was he? That chakra…it was so ominous."

Ino replied, "We don't know. All we know is that he was wearing an Akatsuki cloak and an orange mask."

Tenzo nearly choked. "You just fought…Madara Uchiha?!"

Ino gasped, and Naruto frowned. "Is that who that guy was? He didn't seem that strong. I've heard stories about Madara Uchiha, and I know that he would have easily been able to defeat me."

Kakashi looked surprised. "You held your own against him?"

Naruto nodded. "He was tough, no doubt. But I never really felt that I wouldn't be able to defeat him. I even marked him once, with Kitsune."

Kakashi and Tenzo looked at each other in incredulous amazement. Kakashi turned back to Naruto and said, "Well, come on. We need to get back to the village, it seems that Lady Tsunade is really annoyed at you. You were supposed to be back a few days ago."

Naruto blanched. Ino smiled, "We just couldn't leave Uzushiogakure without exploring the whole place."

Tenzo nodded. "Come on, best not to dawdle now. Madara could still be around somewhere. And we'd better inform Lady Tsunade about this."

* * *

Kiba looked back in confusion. "Hey, Hinata, what's the matter?"

Hinata blushed and started tapping her fingers in nervousness. Kiba frowned in surprise. He looked at Akamaru, who confirmed with a bark, that Hinata was behaving strangely.

'She's never acted this way with me before. What's got her so nervous?'

Hinata tried to run away, but Kiba was much faster. He got in front of her, and said, "What's wrong with you today?"

The girl turned beet red and fainted. Akamaru barked. Kiba nodded, scratching his head, clueless at what had just happened. "You're right, Akamaru, girls are nothing but trouble."

He hoisted Hinata onto Akamaru's back, and took her to the Hyuga Manor. The guard at the gate sighed. "She fell unconscious again, huh?"

Kiba nodded. He lifted Hinata off of Akamaru's back gently, and handed her over to the guard, who lifted her up in a princess carry style and headed towards Hiashi Hyuga's house.

Kiba got on top of Akamaru and said to him, "I've only seen this happen before when she was in close proximity with Naruto. Let's go ask him if he knows something."

Akamaru nodded and the two of them took off towards Naruto's compound.

* * *

"Just as I expected. Madara…that guy is becoming more and more dangerous. What were you doing away so long anyway? I told you to come back in two days, didn't I?"

Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. Ino said, "I'm sorry, Milady, I asked him to stay back longer, because I wanted to explore Uzushiogakure."

Tsunade looked at Ino, and said, "You may be an interrogator-nin, but even I can tell that you're lying. There's no need to save Naruto, it's not like I'm going to punish him or anything. I just wanted to know what took you so long."

Naruto sighed, and pulled out a scroll from his belt. He took a few steps back and opened the scroll on the ground, before unsealing it with his blood. A small cloud of smoke went up, before revealing a ton of more scrolls. Naruto took the biggest one of them and unsealed it as well. Tsunade gasped.

It was a golden broadsword, gleaming dully in the low light. Naruto said, "I found tons of these in the village, and spent most of my time collecting them all. There's weapons of all sorts in these scrolls here, all of them exquisitely crafted. Some of them are even better than my Kitsune, just like this one here."

He picked up the sword and balanced it in his right hand, holding it in a perfect stance. "It's incredibly strong, but so light that I can hold it in one hand and still be able to swing it perfectly."

Naruto handed over the sword to Tsunade. Her eyebrows went up in surprise as she held the sword, almost not feeling its weight. "Incredible!"

Naruto nodded. He sealed the sword back into its scroll, and unsealed another one. Everyone peered into the smoke, and Kakashi smiled slightly. It was a chokuto, his weapon of choice when he was in the ANBU.

Naruto picked up the chokuto, and unsheathed it from its scabbard. He held it up for everyone to see clearly. It was also golden, and Naruto explained it to all of them.

"This chokuto is specially crafted with a titanium alloy, stronger than most of the other metals on earth, and coincidentally the alloy I used for Kitsune. It is plated with 24-karat gold, so that it will never rust. It is also very light, so that it is relatively easy to use. I found a simple chakra formula to bind it to someone so that only that person will be able to use it. It can also absorb chakra to an extent, although not as much as Kitsune. It is much sharper than a regular chokuto, and will last for years, if not decades."

He turned towards Kakashi and smiled. "I remember you asking me something when I first showed you Kitsune. I couldn't get the time to fulfil your request, but please accept this instead."

Kakashi's mouth fell open behind his mask. Naruto held the chokuto out to him in both hands, and the white-haired ninja felt everyone's eyes turn towards him.

"Naruto…I can't accept this. It is a weapon belonging to your ancestors."

Naruto smiled, "My ancestors are long gone, sensei. And after all, I'd be nowhere without you. It's just a small gift compared to what you have done for me. Please, take it."

Kakashi looked around. Tenzo smiled, and Tsunade nodded at him. He held the handle of the chokuto, and felt a slight vibration. Naruto let go of the weapon and signed quickly. Kakashi saw a small seal appear on the bottom of the handle of the chokuto for a moment, before it disappeared. The vibration also disappeared, and Naruto said, "Now the weapon will work only for you. For anyone else, it might just be a thin, blunt log of wood."

Words failed the Jonin. He did all he could do at that moment; fondled Naruto's head and then pulled him into a one-armed hug. Everyone smiled.

* * *

"Hmm, seems that Naruto's gone off somewhere. I'll just have to find him some other time, huh, Akamaru?"

Akamaru yipped, and then barked twice. Kiba smiled, "Oh, good. Let's wait for him, then."

A few minutes later, Naruto and Ino walked over to Naruto's house. The knucklehead saw Kiba leaning against the wall outside his compound, and smiled. "Hey, Kiba! Long time no see."

Kiba and Akamaru smiled. "Tell me about it. How are you?"

"I'm good, just got back from the Land of Whirlpools. What brings you over here? Ah, where are my manners? Come on in."

He opened the gate and led Ino and Kiba inside.

Once all of them were seated comfortably, Naruto said, "So, what's going on?"

Kiba leaned forward, and said, "Something's wrong with Hinata. For the past few days, I kept feeling like I was being followed. Turns out that it was her. I found her today and asked her what happened. Guess what happened next."

Naruto said, "Let me see… She blushed and fainted?"

Kiba nodded. Ino shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Naruto put his fingers to his chin, thinking. "That's strange."

Kiba said, "I came over to you because the only time I have seen this happen before is when you were in close range with her."

Naruto pursed his lips, knowing exactly what Kiba meant. Ino put her hand to head in disbelief. 'How damn clueless can these boys get?'

She turned to Kiba and said, "Kiba, you've been crazy for Hinata for years now. Why haven't you ever said anything to her?"

Kiba looked to the floor. Naruto was completely stunned and said, "You liked Hinata? Why didn't you ever tell anyone?"

The canine lover said, "How could I? She comes from one of the most traditional and strict clans in the village, and me? I'm not worth her."

Ino said, "Don't ever say that. You're a good ninja, you're loyal and strong. You shouldn't keep your feelings reserved just because she's from a bigger clan than you."

Naruto said, "Clan stuff didn't keep Ino and me apart from each other."

Kiba looked up in surprise. Ino nodded, "I'm the leader of my clan in the future. That doesn't mean that I couldn't marry someone I liked. I think you should tell Hinata how you feel about her, Kiba."

Akamaru barked. Kiba looked at him, "You agree with them then, Akamaru?" The dog barked again, as if to confirm it.

Kiba got up. He said, "I guess I'll tell Hinata how I feel about her the next time I see her. Thank you, Naruto and Ino. I owe you one."

The two blondes smiled. Naruto said, "What are friends for, huh?"

Kiba grinned and walked out with Akamaru.

* * *

"What's going on? Why has the Hokage called everyone to assemble outside Ninja Ops?"

"Beats me. Must be something big."

Naruto walked past the two Chunin who were discussing the sudden call from Lady Tsunade. He smiled, 'It must be the announcement of the Jonin Trials.'

He reached the Ninja Ops, and waited along with the throng of ninjas who had gathered there. Tsunade was nowhere to be seen, though.

About ten minutes later, the crowd had become large enough to surround the entire building on all sides possible. Tsunade suddenly appeared on top of the Ninja Ops building, and waved to everyone.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I am sure all of you must be wondering what has happened, for me to call everyone here on such short notice. I have an announcement to make."

She let the words sink in as the ninjas started muttering. After the whispers died down, she continued, "After careful thought, I have decided to hold the Jonin Trials this year. The trials will commence next week. All those Chunin who are interested in participating for the trials will be able to register at the entrance of the village. Kotetsu will be taking your registrations."

All the ninjas went into a frenzy. Some were excited, some were dismayed, and some were neutral.

Tsunade raised her hand to calm everyone down, and continued, "All those Jonin who have not taken the trials in the last ten years will have to renew their credentials as well."

All the respective Jonins nodded. Tsunade said, "That will be all. I wish all of you the best of luck for your trials. Your proctors will be announced on the first day of the trials itself, so that you have no chance of favoritism."

With those words, Tsunade walked off. All the ninjas began to disperse in groups, most of them heading to the entrance of the gates. Naruto saw his batch mates standing in a group and headed over to them.

Lee looked at Naruto and smiled, "Hi, Naruto! Are you excited for the Jonin Trials?!"

Naruto smiled at him, "You know it, Lee. Will you also be participating?"

Lee nodded. "Even though I know that I can never be a full Jonin, I can become a Tokujo. My TaiJutsu, KenJutsu and tracking skills are on par with the requirements. Although I can never use NinJutsu or GenJutsu, I am sure I can become a specialist ninja."

Neji smiled at his team-mate's enthusiasm. Naruto said, "What about you, Neji? What's your plan? You're already a Jonin, aren't you?"

The Hyuga nodded. "I'm content with where I am."

Naruto said, "Why don't you try out for Hokage?"

Neji laughed softly, "It was a big enough achievement becoming a Jonin in the first place, for I am the first branch member to ever obtain this rank. Most of my people are content with Chunin. And anyway, my clan rules make it clear that a branch member cannot obtain the rank of Hokage, since that would make them more powerful than the entire clan itself."

Naruto understood and turned to Tenten. "I suppose you'll do great in the KenJutsu test."

Everyone laughed as Tenten's eyes twinkled. She said, "I expect I'll make Tokujo too, not full Jonin. At least not this time."

Sakura said, "Neji, what are the trials like?"

The Hyuga explained, "Well, the test is divided into five parts, each for one of the five pillars of the Ninja Arts. Depending on the number of people who have applied, they are all assigned one of the pillars on each day. For example, if there are a hundred ninjas, then twenty of them will be assigned NinJutsu for the first day, while twenty others will be assigned GenJutsu, and so on. This ensures concurrency in the test."

Sakura nodded. Sasuke said, "Is there anyone from the group who isn't giving the trials?"

Shikamaru opened his mouth, but Ino cut across him, "No, everyone will be participating."

Shikamaru stared at her crossly, and then muttered, "Troublesome blondes."

Lee shouted happily, "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go and register right away!"

Tenten stopped him, and said, "Hold your horses! Every aspiring Chunin must have already gone to register. Let's wait until evening."

Naruto said, "I'll go check if there's a crowd there."

He vanished, and most of the Konoha 11 looked around in confusion. Sasuke said quietly to Sakura, "Looks like he hasn't told everyone yet."

Sakura nodded. Naruto reappeared and said, "There's a giant line of people waiting to register. Tenten's right, let's go there in the evening. Let's discuss the trials some more, until then. Neji, can you explain the stages in detail? Unless you're busy, of course."

Neji said, "No problem at all. Let's head to a training ground so we can sit in peace."

All of them headed towards the nearest training ground, and once they all were seated, Neji began.

"Well, first of all, when the trials commence, all the proctors are introduced. After that, each participant is given a sheet containing their time tables for the trials. Then, each day, the proctors take the exams of the participants. Based on their performance, they are graded, and the average grade of all the proctors decides whether the participant will be given the rank of Jonin or not."

He took a breath and continued, "Although the proctors are not allowed to show favoritism, if any of the participants shows particularly fine skills in one of the five pillars or more, they are allowed to comment on them. That way, if anyone is weak in one of the pillars and more than meets the requirements for the other pillars, he can be made a specialist, or Tokujo. This is what Lee wants to be, since he knows that he cannot make full Jonin."

Lee nodded. Naruto said, "What is the criteria for becoming a full Jonin?"

Neji replied, "Well, each pillar has its own requirements. For instance, if you take NinJutsu, you need to be adept in at least two of the five chakra elements. Also, you need at least 4 A-rank, 7 B-rank, and 5 C-rank Jutsus. For the weapons test, you need to be proficient in at least 6 weapons, including shuriken and kunai. And the list goes on."

Naruto looked at Sasuke, who was smiling slightly. 'Of course, the Shuriken Jutsu of the Uchiha will weigh heavily in his favor here.'

Neji looked around, "Any more questions?"

Shikamaru yawned, and said, "How long does it take for the results to be declared?"

Neji said, "Well, the Jonin council has a meeting with the Hokage and the proctors, and together, the decisions regarding all the candidates are taken. You can expect the results in about a week after the trials. It does depend on the number of people taking the exams, though. During my time, there were only about twenty Chunin, so the results came out quick. I think there will be a larger gap this time."

Sasuke got up, and said, "If that's all, then, I guess I should get going. I have to be somewhere and I don't like being late." He vanished before anyone could ask him anything.

Shino said quietly, "I wonder why the Hokage made this announcement so suddenly. I can't think of any reason to hold the Jonin Trials so soon after our village was rebuilt."

Shikamaru replied lazily, "It's obviously for political reasons. Right now, the other villages know that we have been short-handed. So the Hokage had to show them that the village is still strong. And there is no better way to do that than to increase the strength in our ranks."

Shino nodded and said, "I see. That would ensure that our enemies would think twice before attacking our village."

Sakura got up as well, and said, "I should head to the hospital now, I have a shift coming up. I'll see you guys in the evening, I guess."

Everyone said goodbye to her and she walked off. Slowly, everyone left, except for Naruto and Neji.

Naruto said, "Neji, there isn't any X-factor in these trials, is there?"

Neji smiled and shook his head. "These trials are solely based on merit. No matter how special the shinobi may be, unless he can prove himself in all the pillars, he has no chance of being a full Jonin."

Naruto gave him a thumbs up and said, "I look forward to seeing you at the Trials."

Neji looked confused. "What do you mean?" Then it dawned upon him. "You know?"

Naruto grinned. "There isn't much that's hidden from me. See ya!"

He vanished and Neji smiled. 'Naruto Uzumaki. You never cease to surprise me.'

* * *

That evening, everyone assembled at the gates to sign up for the trials. The crowd had thinned out now, so there wasn't a large line anymore. Everyone quickly filled up the registration forms, and got their IDs.

Naruto said, "All right! Now all that's left is to train until the trials!"

Everyone nodded, and Sakura said, "Naruto, do you mind training with me for a while? I want to increase my GenJutsu skills a little, and you could use some training there too."

Naruto looked at her as though Christmas had arrived early. "Sure! I was just wondering if anyone would be able to help me out with GenJutsu. I'm still pathetic there."

Everyone laughed. Sasuke said, "I'm going to be training in the Forest of Death until next week. So make sure you don't interrupt me in the middle of my training. If you need me for anything, leave me a note at my house."

He took off, and Sakura sighed. Ino said, "Well, I guess I'll be heading to my clan compound for training. Dad can help me out better than anyone else in my jutsus. Naruto, you wanna walk me there?"

Naruto said, "Sure. Let's go."

Sakura said, "Naruto, training ground 7, tomorrow morning at 7. Don't be late."

Naruto gave her a thumbs up and walked off with Ino. Shino and Kiba both said that they would be training with their respective clans. Hinata looked at Neji and he smiled. She would be training under him. Tenten would train at her own dojo and Lee was going to train with Gai. Shikamaru would be training with his father, and Choji said that he would work with Asuma since his father was soon going to head out for a long term mission.

Everyone dispersed and began to head towards their various destinations.

Naruto said, "I'm really excited for the trials. I haven't been able to showcase my skills in a long time. And even though I won't make it to full Jonin, I will be able to become a Tokujo in the very least."

Ino frowned, "Why won't you make full Jonin?"

Naruto said, "Don't you know how bad my GenJutsu is?"

Ino said, "Haven't you been training with Iruka-sensei and Shizune-san a lot to improve GenJutsu?"

"Yes I have, but somehow it isn't working. I still can't break high level GenJutsus at all. Low level ones which I break are only because of the technique Pervy Sage taught me; to swirl chakra throughout my body. But that strains my tenketsu."

Ino wondered what was wrong with Naruto's ability to break GenJutsus. 'Even average shinobi can break low level GenJutsus easily. Naruto is way above average. For him to not manage a basic task like that, there must be some problem.'

Naruto said, "You all right? What are you thinking about?"

Ino shook herself out of her thoughts and smiled, "Nothing much, just wondering if training with Sakura will be able to bridge the gap you have."

"I'm thinking the same thing myself, really. I'm not sure, but at least I'm getting some training done, right? And I know that I'm on par with all my other pillars."

Ino nodded. The two of them reached the Yamanaka compound and Naruto said, "You'll be staying here until the trials, right?"

"Yeah, I think that would make it easier for me, rather than having to come down here every day. And it's just a week, after all."

"Alright, then. I guess we'll see each other during the trials, huh?" Naruto said.

Ino smiled, "C'mon, I'm sure you can live without me for a week."

She leaned in and kissed him. Naruto said, "When you do stuff like this, it makes me desperate. Now I don't want to let you go."

The platinum blonde whispered in his ear, "That's what I aim for, ya know." She smiled and walked off towards her father's house. Naruto sighed and walked home.

* * *

"So, what kind of training have you done for GenJutsu previously?" Sakura asked Naruto.

The two of them had arrived at training ground 7 on time. Naruto had insisted that they do their usual physical workout before getting started with GenJutsu.

Naruto replied, "Well, Iruka-sensei taught me the way chakra works in GenJutsu based attacks and practiced low level GenJutsus against me. Shizune-neesan taught me how to actually inject my own chakra into the opponent's chakra system. But I was hopeless at doing it myself."

Sakura said, "Well, I guess you should go for defense first, then. I'll throw GenJutsus at you and you try to break them. Alright?"

Naruto nodded firmly, his jaw set. He was determined to get this under control.

Sakura signed and said, "Ninja Arts: Demonic Illusion!"

Naruto looked around him. Nothing seemed to change. Suddenly Sakura came closer to him and smiled. She put her arms around him and hugged him.

"Sakura?"

All of a sudden, Sakura's grip on him tightened. Naruto began choking as the breath was drawn out of him. Sakura turned into a giant black bear, which had encapsulated him into a bone-crushing bear-hug.

Naruto struggled to breathe, as the bear tightened its hold on him.

Suddenly the air around him cleared and the bear disappeared. Sakura was standing in front of him, bemused. "What happened, Naruto?"

The boy fell to his knees, taking deep breaths.

Sakura went over to him and felt his pulse. "Impossible! How were you affected so badly by the GenJutsu?"

Naruto looked at her and said, "What's wrong?"

Sakura said, "Your pulse is off the charts! This was just a C-ranked GenJutsu. How could you be affected by it so badly?"

Naruto shrugged. "I have no idea."

Sakura helped him up and said, "If this is the case, then you're going to be absolutely decimated in the GenJutsu trial. Something is wrong with you, and we are going to find out what it is. Come on, we're going to Lady Tsunade."

"Hey, wait a minute…" Naruto was cut off as he tried to protest. Sakura half-dragged him to the Ninja Ops building.

Tsunade was busy writing a letter when Sakura entered the office. She looked up at the teen and said, "Something wrong, Sakura?"

The pinkette explained the situation to the Hokage. Tsunade put her fingers to her chin, wondering what could cause Naruto to react so badly to a minor GenJutsu. She said, "Let's run some diagnostics on Naruto. Where is he?"

Sakura went out and pushed Naruto into the office. Tsunade said, "Has this ever happened before?"

Naruto shook his head, and said, "Iruka-sensei never really did GenJutsus like these. They were very mild compared to what Sakura pulled."

Tsunade said, "Come on down, let's go and see what's going on inside your body."

They went down to the emergency medical center in the basement of the Ninja Ops, and Naruto got on top of the bed, removing his shirt. Tsunade attached a few wires to him, and said, "Lay back and keep your eyes open."

Naruto did as she requested, and Tsunade signed, "Ninja Arts: Flower Dance!"

Naruto felt calm and relaxed as multiple flowers started blooming in front of his eyes. He slowly started feeling drowsy, and as he was about to fall asleep, the flowers suddenly disappeared. He snapped awake and looked around wildly.

Sakura restrained his head, and Tsunade signed again, "Ninja Arts: Demonic Illusion!"

Sakura said, "That's the one I tried, Lady Tsunade!"

The Hokage said, "Don't worry."

Naruto suddenly saw himself facing all six Paths of Pein. He snarled, "Come on, I'll kill all of you!"

All the Paths suddenly merged with each other, and became one giant being, with six heads, twelve hands and twelve feet. One of the hands rushed out and captured Naruto, starting to crush him.

Tsunade gasped as the seal started glowing on Naruto's belly. "Now I get it!"

She stopped the GenJutsu and said to Sakura, "Give him a chakra pill."

Sakura forced a chakra pill into Naruto's mouth. The knucklehead calmed down, and said, "What the hell just happened?"

Tsunade said, "Are you feeling alright?"

Naruto nodded. The Hokage told him to put his shirt back on and the three of them went back to her office.

Tsunade leaned on her table and said, "Naruto, I just found out the reason why you aren't being able to release GenJutsus or cast them. The Eight Trigrams Seal on your stomach is interfering with your ability to purge chakra from your system. It is also blocking you from injecting chakra into any opponents' tenketsu. Somehow, whenever you try to push the foreign chakra from your body, the seal gets in the way. It is linked with your own chakra points, after all, allowing you to use the Nine Tails' chakra. However, that is becoming a disadvantage for you as well."

Naruto said, "Is there no workaround for this?"

Tsunade shook her head and said, "The only way for you to use GenJutsu or free yourself from one would be to release the seal on your stomach. However, you know that doing such a thing would be catastrophic."

Naruto pursed his lips in anger. "So that means I can't ever use or be safe from GenJutsu?!"

Tsunade said, "For the time being, I guess that is the case."

Naruto punched his right hand with his left in anger. Sakura put her hand on his shoulder, and said, "Come on, Naruto. It's not the end of the world. We'll figure this out somehow. We'll get Master Jiraiya to take a look at the seal. I'm sure that he will be able to do something about it."

Naruto looked at her, and said quietly, "Thanks, Sakura."

He walked out of the building. Sakura looked concerned, but Tsunade said, "Don't mind him. He'll be alright."

The pinkette smiled sadly and began to walk off as well. Suddenly, she remembered that she no longer had a training partner, and said, "Lady Tsunade, I was supposed to work with Naruto on my GenJutsu. Now that it isn't an option any more, can you help me out?"

Tsunade said, "I wish I could, Sakura, but I'm busy organizing the Jonin Trials. Shizune is free, though. I've taken Shikaku Nara as my assistant for a few days until the trials are over, so Shizune has been working at the hospital full time. Tell her that I asked her to help you out."

Sakura smiled and said, "Thanks a lot, Milady."

She exited the building, and began heading for the hospital.

* * *

Shikaku said, "Son, I'm not going to be available to train you. Lady Tsunade has requested me to assist her in setting up the Jonin Trials this year, and you know I cannot refuse."

Shikamaru said, "I don't need you to train me, dad. I just need a new Jutsu which I can master in a week."

Shikaku sighed. This was getting troublesome. However, he said, "Alright. I can teach you a jutsu which is only mastered by the most elite ninjas of our clan. If you can master this jutsu, then you automatically become eligible to lead our clan one day in the future."

Shikamaru said, "It sounds difficult. What is this jutsu?"

Shikaku said, "It is an S-ranked Jutsu, a variation of the Shadow Possession Jutsu. It is called the Shadow Stitching: Black Spider Lily."

Shikamaru frowned. Shadow stitching? That was a jutsu in itself. He said, "I already know how to use the Shadow Stitching Jutsu."

Shikaku smiled. "That is why I am teaching you this variation. The Shadow Stitching jutsu works only on one opponent, and is actually used to attack and incapacitate the opponent in question. However, the Black Spider Lily is used to paralyze multiple opponents all at the same time. It requires you to split your shadow into multiple strands, one for each opponent, which is why the jutsu was named under the shadow stitching jutsus, even though it's main focus is on paralysis."

Shikamaru enquired, "How many opponents can I trap with this?"

The older Nara replied, "As many as you want, depending on your chakra level. Now, I must warn you, though, that this jutsu is part of the Ino-Shika-Cho formation. It is an S-ranked Jutsu only because I use it to paralyze multiple opponents before Inoichi can perform his own S-ranked Jutsu to destroy their minds. So, if you perform it only by yourself, it will probably come down a notch to an A-ranked jutsu. Make sure you explain this to the proctor who will take your NinJutsu trial."

Shikamaru said, "That's if I can master it in one week."

"I have faith in you."

Shikamaru smiled and said, "Well, then, let's stop wasting time and teach me the jutsu already. You'll be late for work."

* * *

Inoichi said, "A new Jutsu, huh? No doubt you want to be ready for the Jonin Trials. Alright. I already spoke to Shikaku and Choza in this matter, and the two of them have agreed to teach Shikamaru and Choji the respective jutsus that are required to work with the one I can teach you."

Ino said, "So, this jutsu requires the Ino-Shika-Cho formation?"

Inoichi nodded. "Let me explain how the formation works, before starting on the jutsu."

The head of the Yamanaka clan spent some time teaching Ino the formation, before saying, "You got that?"

Ino replied, "Yup, got it. So in a nutshell, I can only perform the jutsu after Shikamaru is done with his Black Spider Lily. Right?" Inoichi gave her a thumbs up.

Ino continued, "So, what is this jutsu anyway?"

"Do you remember the Mind Destruction Jutsu?" Inoichi asked.

Ino shuddered slightly. "Of course I do. A dangerous jutsu if there ever was one."

Inoichi smiled and said, "If you thought that was dangerous, then this will be overkill for you." He took out a scroll and said, "All the information you need about the jutsu is in this. You cannot start working on the jutsu before you read this. Open it."

Ino opened the scroll. "Mind Body Destruction Dance Jutsu." She looked up at Inoichi and said, "So the person whose mind I take over will kill his comrades before killing himself?"

Inoichi said, "Not only the person. The **people**. This jutsu allows you to take over the minds of multiple people at once, allowing you to destroy tons of them in one go. It is not a jutsu for the weak to perform, as it requires a large amount of chakra. I am thankful to Naruto for helping you in increasing your chakra reserves through the Rasengan training, since you will easily be able to wield this Jutsu now. The only thing that remains is for you to master it, which I am confident that you will be able to do."

Ino nodded in determination.

* * *

Choji said, "Dad, what is your role in your Ino-Shika-Cho formation? It is different from ours, isn't it?"

Choza said, "Yes, it is. I use the Extreme Multi-Size Technique to increase my body completely, and my staff to bring up a swirl of wind that brings the enemies together. That makes it easier for Shikaku to stitch them up together with his shadows quickly."

Choji said, "Why didn't you teach me that jutsu?"

Choza said, "I did teach it to you, Choji. It is simply a variant of the Multi-Size technique that you already know. All you need to learn is how to unleash its full potential."

Choji rubbed his cheek and said, "Do you have any tips for me?"

His father replied with a smile, "Don't use the pills. And make sure you envision yourself as you want before practicing the technique."

Choza started walking off. He turned around at the entrance of their house and said, "By the way, if you must know, I practiced this jutsu for a long time before I was able to master it. You already progressed to the middle stage much faster than me. I'm proud of you for that. If you want to train harder, go to the mountain range at the northern side of the village, it will be easier to train there without disturbing others. And yes, I spoke to Asuma, who has agreed to help you out."

He left the house, leaving Choji to his thoughts.

* * *

Shibi Aburame said, "You came to learn a new Jutsu, haven't you? Because the Jonin Trials are nearing?"

Shino nodded and said quietly, "I need to get stronger in order to achieve the rank of Jonin. The only way to do that is to increase my jutsu. Are you willing to teach me again?"

Shibi said, "As your father, it is my duty to teach you. That being said, you are a prodigy in our clan and have learned a lot from me already. Even then, there is a jutsu that even you do not know about. It is only learned by the head of the clan. I wish for you to take my mantle one day. Therefore, I shall teach it to you."

Shino bowed and said, "It is my honor to learn from you once more, father. I hope I shall be able to master this jutsu quickly. Because I would not like to disappoint you."

Shibi said, "This jutsu is a secret technique, and is called the Insect Tornado. Be warned; it requires a high level of skill and all the kikaichu in your body must be willing to help you out to perform it. If you master it, it holds merit as an S-ranked Jutsu."

He turned around and said, "Follow me. We cannot perform this jutsu in the proximity of others. We will need to leave the village and enter the surrounding forests."

Shino followed his father and the two of them left the village to train.

* * *

Kiba said angrily, "What do you mean you can't you help me?! I'm your son! It's the least you could do for me!"

Tsume Inuzuka shouted, "I'm heading out for a mission, for God's sake! I swear you are just like your father! No wonder I had to drive him away; he used to quibble over stupid things like these!"

Hana came in and said, "What the heck is going on?"

Kiba stalked over to her and said, "The Jonin Trials are in a week and mother is refusing to help me train!" Hana said, "Well, she is heading out for a mission, isn't she? She can hardly cancel a mission because her son needs to become stronger."

Kiba's jaw dropped. Hana had never taken their mother's side before. Hana smiled and fondled Kiba's head, saying, "I don't know what you are so upset about. Did it not cross your mind that I could teach you too?"

Tsume said, "There! Everything's sorted out. Hana will train you. Now excuse me while I go and bring some money into this house!" She left the house, shutting the door with a bang.

Kiba said, "No offense, sis, but you aren't exactly the attacking type. You're a medical ninja. What jutsu could you teach me that would be offensive?"

Hana said, "You may be forgetting that I'm also an Inuzuka. In order to be a clan member, one has to have knowledge about the clan jutsus. And I know every jutsu that our clan can perform. After all, I am going to take over this clan one day."

Kiba said, "Alright, alright. So what is this jutsu you're going to teach me?"

"I'm sure you're familiar with the Human Beast Combination – Two Headed Wolf Technique, right?" Hana asked him. The boy nodded. Hana said, "This is a continuation of that technique. It is highly dangerous, so don't ever use it unless the need arises. You know the Rashomon technique used by the First Hokage, don't you?"

Kiba said, "Yes I have. Not only have I heard of it, I have also seen it myself. When I was fighting the Sound Ninjas during the mission to retrieve Sasuke, the two I was fighting used the Rashomon to block my Fang Over Fang. They seemed surprised that I could make a dent in it."

Hana raised an eyebrow. She hadn't heard the entire story of Kiba's fight against the Sound Ninjas who had kidnapped Sasuke. "So, you already have some experience against the Rashomon. It is a tough little gate, isn't it?"

Kiba nodded. Hana smiled and said, "How would you feel if I told you that the jutsu I teach you will be able to bust down three of those gates without slowing you down whatsoever?"

The male Inuzuka's eyes widened enough to drop out of his sockets.

Hana said, "The jutsu I am going to teach you now takes a lot out of a user. You will require an insane amount of chakra to pull it off. You need to be in the Two Headed Wolf mode first, and then you need to pull off this jutsu. It is called the Super Fang Wolf Fang. It has enough force to stop kill a dozen enemies and not even stop you down."

"Wow! That's amazing! When do we start?!"

Hana said, "We'll have to head out of the village towards the mountain range in order to practice the jutsu. Let's go."

* * *

Hinata panted as she steadied herself. Neji observed her movements carefully, pointing out mistakes wherever he found her stance unsatisfactory.

"Hinata, take a minute to get your breath back. You need to be calm and focused in order to fully master the Sixty Four Palms," Neji said.

Hinata said, "N…no Neji-san. I need…to master this technique as s…soon as possible. I have…to get s…stronger."

Neji smiled at the girl's determination and said, "If getting stronger means having to push yourself beyond the limit, I don't see the point in it. You need to maintain your physical self while training. What is the point of mastering the technique if your own body is incapable of showcasing it at the trials?"

Hinata understood and nodded. She sat down and Neji sat next to her, giving her some water to drink. He said, "Hinata, I know that you want to get stronger, and prove yourself to everyone. But that does not mean that you work harder than your limit. Otherwise, all you will achieve is killing yourself. Understand?"

Hinata said, "I understand, Neji-san. I will not overdo it anymore."

Neji said, "If you're ready, let's proceed, shall we?"

* * *

"COME ON, LEE! I KNOW YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS!"

Lee struggled to run faster, with a giant boulder on his back, Gai-sensei sitting atop it. The Jonin was trying to increase Lee's speed even further, to make sure that he could shine in the TaiJutsu pillar of the trials.

Lee cried out, "I WILL NOT FAIL YOU, SENSEI!"

With all his remaining strength, Lee crossed the finish line, and Gai jumped off the rock. Lee threw the rock off his back and gave his sensei a thumbs up, his eyes and teeth twinkling, before he fell onto his back, unconscious.

Gai smiled and picked up the boy. He quickly took him to the hospital and asked Shizune to heal him.

Shizune shouted, "What have you been doing now, Gai?! Look at the amount of muscle tearing on his back!"

Gai scratched his head and said, "Perhaps…I overdid it a little."

Shizune healed Lee's back and said, "No more training for the day. You need to rest, or else you will be in worse shape tomorrow."

She turned around and said to Gai, "If you have to bring Lee back to the hospital again this week, I shall make sure that he doesn't participate in the Jonin Trials. UNDERSTAND?!"

Gai blanched and nodded in fright. Shizune turned around to berate Lee and sighed as she found the bed empty, and the bedside window curtains fluttering.

'I swear, one day I'm going to go crazy with these guys around.'

* * *

Tenten pulled out one of her scrolls in a flow, and unleashed a dozen kunai and shuriken into the target at the dojo. She grinned as all of them hit the target, completely skewering it.

Another target jumped up out of nowhere, and flung its own kunai at her. She dodged fluidly, twisting and turning through the air as she landed, and pulled out a quartet of kunai from her leg pouch. She threw the kunai horizontally at the target, and three of them hit its head, while the fourth landed deep into its chest.

A third target sprang up to her right, and she barely dodged the spikes that it launched at her. A moment later, the target's head fell to the ground, decapitated by Tenten's sword.

Tenten panted slightly, "That was a good one. My aim is still spot on. Now all I need to do is polish my NinJutsu a little. And perhaps a little more KenJutsu while I'm at it. Who could help me out? Hmm…I'll go ask Yugao-san."

Tenten locked her dojo and went to Yugao's house. The purple-haired Jonin was at home, and smiled at Tenten. "Can I help you with something, Tenten?"

The weapons expert said, "You must know that the Jonin Trials are next week, right?" Yugao nodded. Tenten continued, "I was rather hoping that you could help me with some weapons training to sharpen my skills a little more. It would really help and I'd appreciate it."

Yugao said, "Of course I'll help you. When do you want to begin?"

Tenten said, "I guess we could start tomorrow morning, around 9. Is that okay for you?" Yugao replied, "9 works fine for me. I'll meet you outside training ground 11. Alright?"

Tenten thanked her and went back home to relax for the rest of the day.

* * *

Sasuke was engaged in fierce combat with his Water Clone. A useful jutsu he had picked up when he absorbed Orochimaru, he had used Water Clones to intensify his training a lot, since he found it easier to see where he was weak while fighting.

Sasuke led his clone on a fine dance all around the clearing in the Forest of Death which he had picked for his training. The clone was trying its best not to die a brutal death, a fact that was made difficult due to Sasuke's sword in one hand and a Chidori in the other.

Sasuke finally managed to corner the clone and drove his hand through its heart. The clone turned back into a puddle of water, and Sasuke took a deep breath, before sitting down in the center of the clearing with his eyes shut. He visualized the entire fight as it had happened, his Sharingan recording it all. He saw the flaws in his fight, and analyzed how he could have done better.

Suddenly, a movement to his right alerted his ears and he quickly opened his eyes, looking at the giant snake that was staring at him, its tongue slithering in and out of its mouth.

Sasuke's mouth curved upwards ever so slightly. A few seconds later, the snake was lying on the forest floor, bleeding from its eyes and mouth. Sasuke walked away from the clearing to another one, with not so much as a scratch on him. He sat down again, and closed his eyes.

'I need to get even faster. I'm still not as fast as Naruto.'

Having acknowledged Naruto's strength, Sasuke had made it a priority to improve his skills to match Naruto. This was his new goal in life, having achieved all that he had wanted.

"I will become stronger than you, Naruto. Mark my words. You have shown me that even a loser can become strong, and you have diminished my arrogance. But I still have my pride as an Uchiha. And I cannot let my pride fall, because if it does, then I shall fall with it."

Sasuke opened his eyes, the bladed design of the Mangekyo Sharingan gleaming in the dim light of the forest.

* * *

"Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the Jonin Trials."

Tsunade looked around the Chunin Stadium, where the inauguration of the Jonin Trials was being held. Around fifty or so odd ninjas were standing in front of her, with the Konoha 11 standing at the forefront. Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

Kakashi said, "I didn't expect these many Chunin to be here."

Tsunade paced around the stage that had been built specially, saying, "Our village suffered a giant disaster when Pein attacked. It showed us that even a single shinobi is enough to destroy the entire citizenship we have established. We need to make sure that such a thing can never happen again. And it can only be achieved if every one of you is inspired to protect this village. Who among you wishes to protect the village?"

A giant roar went up from all the ninjas, and Tsunade said, "That's exactly the attitude I want from you. Now, as most of you know by now, the Jonin Trials will be divided into five categories, namely TaiJutsu, NinJutsu, GenJutsu, KenJutsu, and stealth and espionage. If you prove yourself to be capable enough in all these categories, you will be promoted to a Jonin."

She took a slight pause before continuing, "If you are less adept at one of these skills, and more adept at the others, you will be promoted to Tokubetsu Jonin, or what is commonly known as Tokujo now. So don't worry if you are nervous about one of your pillars. Everyone has a fair chance of being promoted. And if you don't get promoted this time, just intensify your training, and make sure you achieve the rank next time."

Everyone nodded.

Tsunade came to the center of the stage, and said, "It is time for you to meet your proctors for the trials."

Tenten looked around and said, "Neji is late. He said he would be here to support us."

Sakura said, "Yeah. Sasuke is late too."

Tsunade said, "Let me introduce our stealth and espionage proctor, Anko Mitarashi!"

Anko walked on stage and bowed amidst mild applause. She smiled at the Konoha 11 and gave Naruto a creepy look, which raised the hairs on his neck. He shuddered and said, "I hate that look she gives me."

Tsunade said, "Our KenJutsu proctor, Might Gai!"

Everyone applauded Gai as he jumped onto the stage. Lee whistled loudly, and clapped as hard as he could. Gai gave a thumbs up to the crowd.

The Hokage continued, "Our GenJutsu proctor, Iruka Umino!"

This time, the applause was the loudest, since most of the Chunins had graduated from the academy after Iruka had started teaching there. He came forward and bowed similarly like Anko had. Naruto clapped hardest this time; after all, Iruka was the reason he was here today.

Tsunade smiled at the applause and asked them to quieten down. She said, "Our NinJutsu proctor, one of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya!"

Everyone exclaimed in surprise and excitement as a cloud of smoke went up on the stage, and Jiraiya appeared atop Gama, standing in his trademark pose.

Tsunade said, "Our final proctor, for TaiJutsu, is Neji Hyuga!"

Lee and Tenten gasped, and everyone clapped for Neji as he walked on stage and bowed.

Naruto grinned. Sakura glanced at his smile and said, "You knew who the proctors were beforehand, didn't you?" He nodded and she said, "How?"

"Well, that's a long story. Maybe some other time."

Tsunade walked to the side of the stage, where Shikaku was standing with a small pile of papers. She said, "All of you get in a line. You will receive a timetable from Shikaku. Your exams will begin from today afternoon. **Memorize** your timetable; if you lose it and don't make it to the designated trial when it is held, you will lose your chance at being promoted. Is that understood?"

All the ninjas shouted, "HAI!"

Tsunade said, "Well, then. Let the Jonin Trials, begin!"


	53. Chapter 53: The Jonin Trials, Part 2

**Author's Note: Heyyy, what's going on, guys! Cannonballer here with another chapter for you today, hope you enjoy it, and once again, sorry for the delay. Wow, it's been more than a month since I last updated. I didn't realize that the time was flying by so fast! Anyway, I hope you like today's chapter, it took me a while and I feel like I would be letting you guys down if you didn't enjoy it. Alright that's enough out of me, Happy Reading!**

**Chapter 53: The Jonin Trials, Part 2**

Naruto looked at his time-table. "TaiJutsu, today at 2PM. Ninja Academy. Wait, we're gonna be doing our TaiJutsu test in the Academy? Great!"

He looked up at the others, and they all read out their respective time-tables as well. Lee and Sakura also had their TaiJutsu tests on the same day. Lee hooted in delight, "I will be showing my TaiJutsu to Neji himself! I look forward to showcasing my skills in front of him. But wait, my TaiJutsu test mentions our training ground instead of the Academy. Why would that be?"

Shino adjusted his goggles slightly, before saying, "It is because your TaiJutsu is one a completely different level than ours, Lee, and could end up destroying the Academy itself."

Everyone smiled. Tenten had been thrilled to have her KenJutsu test first. Shikamaru had his GenJutsu test first. Kiba and Ino would have to get ready for their NinJutsu test, while Shino, Hinata and Choji were waiting for their stealth and espionage test.

Naruto said, "Well, the first test isn't due until 2 PM, and it's just past 11 right now. How about getting something to eat?"

Choji smacked his lips and said, "You took the words right out of my mouth, Naruto! Let's go get some BBQ!"

Ino sighed, "Here we go again. Choji, haven't I told you to limit your food intake? You're going to get really fa…"

Everyone gasped, and Ino caught herself quickly. Choji was frowning at her. Shikamaru laughed nervously, "Let's go eat." Sakura looked around nervously, and Ino asked her, "Something wrong?"

The pinkette replied, "Sasuke still hasn't shown up, I'm starting to get a little worried…"

Naruto suddenly straightened up for a minute, standing completely still, before smiling. He turned to Sakura and said, "Don't mind him, he's running late, but he'll be there for the exams."

Sakura said, "How can you tell?" The blonde grinned, "Let's just say it's a **natural** ability, alright?"

Sakura shrugged. Choji looked at Naruto determinedly, and said, "Well? I thought we were gonna eat!"

"Oh, right, I almost forgot! Come on, let's go, everyone."

The gang headed towards Choji's favorite barbeque restaurant to eat.

* * *

"Hello, Naruto," Neji bowed in the formal method as Naruto walked into one of the academy's practice dojos. He was dressed in his formal clan robes as usual, but his hands were wrapped in bandages.

"Hey, Neji. Something wrong with your hands?"

The recently promoted Jonin shook his head gently and smiled, "I won't be able to fight you at full strength unless I am using the Gentle Fist. However, Konoha guidelines state that the proctor of the Jonin Trials cannot hurt their opponent, and since cutting off your chakra points falls into that category, Lady Tsunade asked me to cover my arms so that the impact of my attacks will be softened."

"Ah, I see. That's thoughtful."

"Now, Naruto, the way in which these tests are conducted are mostly standardized. However, the proctor can decide whether one may simply show the forms or apply them in combat. I would like to spar with you so that I may know firsthand how you apply the TaiJutsu forms in real life. Is that okay with you?"

Naruto nodded in determination. Neji continued, "Well, then, in order to pass this trial, you will have to exhibit at least eight different styles of TaiJutsu, four of which should be C-Rank or higher, two of them B-Rank or higher, and finally, two of A-Rank of higher. Now, if you know an extra A-Rank TaiJutsu form, it can be substituted for two C-Rank forms, or maybe even border on a B-Rank depending on your skill. For example, my Gentle Fist is at S-Rank level, allowing me to substitute three C-Rank TaiJutsu forms for it. Are you getting that?"

The blonde nodded enthusiastically and gave him a thumbs up, reminding Neji of Gai and Lee. "I prefer a real fight to showing off anyway."

Neji smiled, "I expected as much."

He got into his favorite stance and said, "I would like you to call out your TaiJutsu forms before you begin sparring. Every form should last at least three minutes. Make sure to start with your weakest form, since you will have a better chance showing your strong ones after you are warmed up."

Naruto slipped into a stance and said, "Well, then. I guess I'll begin with the Tiger Style." Neji raised his eyebrows slightly; if Naruto's weakest form was the Tiger Style, then this could be one tough spar.

Naruto stretched out his right hand while keeping his left hand close to his chest. Both palms of his hand were perpendicular to the forearms, and his fingers were bent just enough to make the hands look like paws. Neji took account of this mentally in his mind. 'Excellent posture.'

The Byakugan wielder stepped forward, aiming a hard jab at Naruto's face. Naruto knocked the hand away with his right arm, numbing it by the sheer force, even as he countered by closing his left hand and aiming a punch at the Hyuga's chest.

Neji was forced to avoid the punch by blocking it with his left hand, and noted Naruto's strength with great amazement. 'I did not expect the force in his block to numb my hand. This is astonishing. It's almost like I'm fighting Lee with his First Gate open.'

Naruto gave him no chance to dodge the next blow, a palm to his chest. Neji was forcefully pushed backwards, and noted that Naruto had opened the palm so that he wouldn't be hurt as much as he would have by a closed fist. His chest was still stinging, though and he doubted that it would still be the same shade as it was now by the end of the day.

"I am very impressed, Naruto. And a little intimidated. If this is your weakest style, I cannot imagine what your strongest is," Neji said. He switched his style in order to a more defensive one.

Naruto smiled and said, "Well, I've been practicing this one a little more recently, trying to get the postures and positions correct."

"Very well, let's continue."

* * *

"Good afternoon, Ino," Jiraiya closed his book and put it back into his pocket. The infamous Sannin was hosting his trial at the training ground where Naruto and Sakura had squared off against Kakashi after Naruto had returned to the Leaf. The place had ample space to destroy, as well as a stream for water based techniques.

"Good afternoon, Jiraiya-san." Ino bowed deeply, showing him the respect he deserved, but didn't usually get from women. Jiraiya fought hard not to gaze at her ample breasts, reminding himself that she was Naruto's girlfriend.

"So, today is your NinJutsu trial. As per the standard norm, you will have to perform at least or better than the following: four A-Rank, seven B-Rank and five C-Rank jutsus. Should you have any jutsus higher than the recommended level, they can be accordingly substituted for some of the lower rank ones, depending on the level of damage done."

Ino nodded her understanding. Jiraiya continued, "You are also expected to show mastery of at least two of the five chakra natures. And, depending on your proctor, you may be asked to show the skills deemed standard and basic by our village. You have two hours to finish this test, and you may use chakra pills. Good luck."

He smiled at her, and said, "I understand that Naruto taught you a deadly technique that he picked up from me." Ino smiled and nodded.

Jiraiya indicated for her to begin. Ino put her hands together in a cross shape, and Jiraiya couldn't help but grin at the familiar sight. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The sage's eyes almost dropped out of their sockets, however, as about fifty clones appeared in front of him. 'Holy…cow! I knew that Naruto would've taught her this technique, but to produce fifty of them? Kunoichi don't have such large chakra reserves!'

Ino read his mind correctly and said, "Training with Naruto significantly increased my chakra reserves, Jiraiya-san."

He quickly took down a note on the notepad he had brought, and said, "Well, I'll have to give that an A-Rank in the very least. I am very impressed, I must say. I expected ten clones at the most."

Ino thanked him and then dispelled most of her clones, leaving around ten of them. She came forward and raised her right hand. Chakra began swirling around the hand, before condensing into a glowing light blue sphere above her palm.

"Rasengan," she intoned, knowing that it was not necessary. Jiraiya noted that she had formed it without the help of a clone, something that had taken Naruto a while to do. "Very nice chakra control, Ino. Another A-Rank Jutsu in the bag."

Ino dispelled her chakra and moved backwards while two of her clones came forward. The first clone held up her right hand in front of her while the other one began to move her hands around it, as though spinning an imaginary ball. Chakra began rotating around the hand, but this time, the orb that formed was over a meter in diameter.

"Odama Rasengan!" both the clones simultaneously announced. Jiraiya gave it a thumbs up, and said, "That's the third A-Rank Jutsu. I'm wondering whether you actually know any C-Rank Jutsus, or whether you're going to substitute all of them for A-Rank ones."

Ino smiled. The clones vanished, and three more clones stepped forward. Two of them began the same process as before, while the third clone simply held both hands forward towards the chakra, as though blessing it. The Rasengan began to turn from blue to purple, and started shining brightly. Jiraiya squinted, trying to keep his eyes open.

Ino's clones announced, "Lightning Style: Rasengan!"

The jutsu didn't stop there, either, as one more clone entered the fray. The orb started glowing more, and began stretching out in shape. It started to resemble a lightning bolt, with the Rasengan orb becoming smaller, but maintaining itself firmly in the center.

The clones shouted, "Lightning Style: Rasenbolt!"

Rather than letting the chakra dispel, the first of the four clones threw the lightning bolt towards the ground, far away from the two of them. It touched the ground, and there was an infinitesimal pause before the ground tore itself apart from the energy of the jutsu. Jiraiya's mouth had fallen open, and he had lost all composure.

'I knew Naruto could do this, but her as well? Wow!'

The four clones vanished, leaving four more, along with the original. Jiraiya said, "Those are two S-Ranked Jutsus right there. Words can't describe what I want to say right now, Ino. I never expected you to have mastered the Rasengan to this extent."

Ino thanked him, and he noted down all the jutsus. He said, "Well, you've already got three A-Ranked and two S-Ranked jutsus, plus a strong start with the lightning element. Although you needed quite a lot of clones for the Rasenbolt. What do you have to show me next?"

Ino said, "I'll begin by filling up that hole, shall I?"

One more clone went up and signed, "Earth Style: Landslide!"

The earth began filling up, and Jiraiya went over to inspect the ground after the jutsu was over. He was satisfied with the end result and said, "As expected. B-Rank, very nice jutsu to have when you have a boyfriend like Naruto."

Ino laughed and said, "That's what he said too."

Another clone came up and signed quickly, "Earth Style: Stone Spears Jutsu!" Seven giant spears of stone came out of the earth just ahead of Jiraiya, and he noted their size with his eyebrows raised. 'And I have to remember that this isn't the original, but the clone performing the jutsu.'

"Very nice, another B-Rank, bordering on A considering that your clone is performing the jutsu. But I'll leave it at B-Rank for now."

The last two clones came over, and one of them signed, "Earth Style: Stone Jacket Jutsu!" The earth rose over the other clone, and encompassed her completely. Jiraiya was surprised; this jutsu wasn't really famous in the Land of Fire.

"Okay, that is three A, three B, and two S-Ranked jutsus. And you also have good control over earth style. If you want, we can cancel out the remaining four B-ranked jutsus with your two S-ranked ones."

Ino said, "I would rather we go through all the jutsus I have and then figure out the rankings, since I have some clan jutsus as well." Jiraiya remembered, 'Oh, right, she's a Yamanaka.'

He gestured her to continue.

* * *

"Well, that was the last of the required techniques, Naruto," Neji said, slightly out of breath. "Do you want to stop?"

Naruto grinned, "I have two more forms to show. I think that the Jonin Council will have a nice opinion on one of them."

Neji indicated that he begin, and Naruto said, "This form is special since it uses nature energy, which I gather by sitting still. My clone over there that I created five minutes ago, has been gathering energy while we sparred. It is essential to show you the form in Sage Mode, otherwise, the technique doesn't hold as much merit."

Neji understood. Naruto dispelled the clone and turned back towards Neji, his eyes yellow. Neji was impressed, "So, I finally see the coveted Sage Mode. Give me a second."

He enabled his Byakugan, and saw the chakra flowing through Naruto. "The nature energy enhances your muscles as well, I see. Extremely efficient."

Naruto got into his position for Frog Kumite, and Neji got into his most defensive position, since he had heard a lot about this TaiJutsu form.

Naruto charged, and swung out at Neji's chest. The Hyuga didn't bother to block it, since Naruto's arm was not in proximity with his body. However, a split second later, he noticed the nature energy streaming out from his punch, and reaching his chest. He could not hope to dodge it; he took the punch and staggered back.

Naruto said apologetically, "I'm really sorry about that, Neji, but honestly, there's no other way I could've shown you how Frog Kumite works. I mean, I could have used a clone but it wouldn't have been solid proof."

Neji said, "It is quite alright. I was made a proctor for a reason, Naruto. I can take a few good hits. Although this nature energy that you've got a hold of, it's really something else, I must say."

They continued to spar for a few minutes, before Naruto said, "Alright, I feel my energy going down. I'll switch to my final form now."

Neji said, "You were right, this Frog Kumite is going to be quite the talk in the Jonin Council."

Naruto grinned slightly, and said, "Oh, that wasn't the one I was talking about. This one is the form which everyone is going to love."

He got into the required stance, and said, "This is the Iron Monk form."

Neji couldn't believe his ears. The Iron Monk! The TaiJutsu form that not even the Fourth Hokage had been able to completely master! How on earth had Naruto mastered it?

"Naruto, I have to ask. Where did you learn this form from?"

Naruto replied, "Well, this form was invented by my mother, Kushina Uzumaki. I have all her notes, which is how I was able to learn this form."

Neji frowned. "That is weird. Did your mother know the Fourth Hokage well? Because I have heard that he liked to use this particular style but wasn't able to master it."

Naruto frowned as well, and said, "I don't know, I guess they might've known each other since they were in the same age group."

Neji said, "Very well, let's begin. We are running out of time, I need to take the test of the others as well, and I know that Lee must be anxious to get started."

Naruto laughed and began sparring.

* * *

Ino finished up her final jutsu and Jiraiya looked down at his notes. "Wow, that's amazing. You showed me twenty jutsus, well above the required sixteen. And all of the requirements were fulfilled too, so I have no reason not to say this; you pass."

Ino bowed and said, "Thank you, Jiraiya-san."

The pervert raised his palm and said, "Don't mention it. I know firsthand how powerful the Rasengan based jutsus are. I never expected that you would know how to change the chakra nature. That was a first. Anyway, it's getting late, and I have more people to test. You should get going now. Best of luck for the rest of the trials."

"Thanks a lot. Have a good day." Ino bowed again slightly, and headed home, done for the day. She had been exhausted, and had to take two chakra pills during the trial.

'I wonder how the others are doing.'

She decided to head to the Academy instead, and sure enough, she found Sakura and a few other ninjas standing there, waiting for their trial. Sakura looked at her and smiled, "Hey, Ino, how was the NinJutsu test?"

Ino gave her a thumbs up, "Awesome. Did you finish the TaiJutsu trial?"

Sakura shook her head ruefully and said, "Neji went off with Lee for his trial so we're stuck waiting here until then." Then she remembered and said, "Oh, you're probably looking for Naruto, right?"

Ino nodded. Sakura said, "He's gone off to Ichiraku's, said he needed to eat to maximize his strength for tomorrow. His NinJutsu trial is tomorrow, after all." Ino thanked her and wished her luck, before heading off to Ichiraku's. As she reached, she heard a loud burp, and pursed her lips. She headed into the restaurant and smacked Naruto right on the head.

"OWWW! What the heck was that for?!"

Naruto held his head and danced around in pain. Ino said, "Serves you right! What did I tell you about manners?"

The knucklehead pointed at a fat guy sitting in the corner, and shouted with tears in his eyes, "He's the guy who burped!"

The man looked at the two of them in confusion, and then shrugged, before continuing to eat noisily.

Ino looked mortified, and quickly turned to Naruto, who was now sitting on the opposite corner, pouting in all his glory. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I just couldn't bear the sight of my boyfriend burping in public."

Naruto humphed, and turned away from her. He gave Teuchi the money for the ramen and walked out without so much as looking at Ino. She knew that he was faking it, but she couldn't help herself.

She walked out after him, and as they reached a lonelier road, she hugged him from behind. He blushed as he felt her breasts rub against his back, and she whispered in his ear seductively, "I'm so sorry, Ruto-kun. I shouldn't have acted without having proof. Please forgive me. I'll make it up to you."

"Oh yeah? How's that, huh?" Naruto pretended to still be upset.

"I'm sure I can figure something out," Ino replied, crushing into him harder. Naruto's expression was exactly the same as Jiraiya's had been when he had first seen the Sexy Jutsu. Drool rolled off his chin onto the ground. He said, "I guess we need to go home quickly then."

A moment later, the two of them were on their couch at home, a furious make out session ensuing between them.

* * *

Naruto was already waiting in the training ground when Jiraiya arrived the next day.

"Oy, Pervy Sage!" Naruto shouted, waving at him. Jiraiya sighed and shook his head, but walked over to the Chunin.

"Good morning, Naruto," he said simply.

"Are you ready?" Naruto asked, putting his fingers into their favorite hand sign. Jiraiya raised his hand to stop his pupil.

"What's the hold up?"

"Hang on a minute, I need to go through the introduction first." the Sannin explained, taking out a small card out of his pocket.

"To be considered for the rank of Jonin, you must be able to perform at least four A-Rank, seven B-Rank and five C-Rank jutsus. Should you have any jutsus higher than the recommended level, they can be accordingly substituted for some of the lower rank ones, depending on the level of damage done. You are also expected to show mastery of at least two of the five chakra natures. And, depending on your proctor, you may be asked to show the skills deemed standard and basic by our village. You have two hours to finish this test, and you may use chakra pills. Good luck."

He looked at Naruto and pretended to think a little. "Hmm, should I make you do the basic academy jutsus? Let me think…"

Naruto frowned and Jiraiya laughed, "Just kidding, Naruto. Go ahead and begin."

Naruto put his hands together and intoned, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

About fifteen clones split off, and stood behind him. He said, "I don't need to tell you how many clones I can make on my best day, so this jutsu can easily border on S-Rank for me. You remember saying that, don't you?"

Jiraiya was annoyed, and said, "Don't quote back things I myself told you. I remember. However, for this test, the Shadow Clone Jutsu stays A-Rank. Continue."

Naruto puffed out his cheeks in mock annoyance, and put both his hands in front of him. He quickly generated a swirling blue orb in each hand, and intoned, "Rasengan. And by extension, Rasenrengan."

Jiraiya nodded, pleased with the extension.

A set of two clones came forward, and one of them created a Rasengan, while the other kept adding chakra to it. They came forward, each holding the end result with one hand each, and said, "Odama Rasengan." Jiraiya inclined that Naruto continue, having been responsible for creating this Rasengan variant.

All of the shadow clones began gathering chakra in their hands, and formed Rasengans in their hands, working in pairs to do so. The original Naruto intoned, "Rasen Tairengan." Jiraiya gave him a thumbs up.

The Rasengans continued to increase in size as the clones kept adding chakra. The original gave them a signal to stop after a particular size, and Jiraiya noted that each Rasengan was around four feet in diameter. Naruto said, "Odama Rasen Tairengan."

The clones dispelled their Rasengans and two sets of two clones each came forward. One clone from each set created a Rasengan while the other added chakra. After watching them for a few seconds, Naruto stopped them. The result was…

"Wind Style: Rasengan and Lightning Style: Rasengan."

Jiraiya was impressed. 'I wonder how strong these jutsus would be if Naruto himself was performing all of them.'

The original knucklehead made the clones continue. The clones kept adding chakra until…

"Wind Style: Rasenshuriken and Lightning Style: Rasenbolt."

"Very good," Jiraiya said. "I'm glad to see that you can create the elemental Rasengans with a single clone. Your chakra control has improved tremendously."

Naruto said, "Ino taught me a method to improve chakra. I was even able to convert that method into another jutsu."

All the clones vanished, and Naruto said, "Focus on my hand now." A single two inch diameter Rasengan began swirling above Naruto's right thumb. Four more orbs followed in succession on each finger, all rotating in perfect synchronization. He darted over to a nearby stone and jammed his hand into it. Once the Rasengans got past the surface, the stone exploded from within. Naruto turned back to Jiraiya and said, "I call it the Five Point Rasengan."

Jiraiya said, "So, you got the Rasengans onto your fingers and created another variant, huh? I imagine this one works by changing the frequencies at which the orbs rotate, rather than the speed." Naruto remembered Ino saying something about frequencies, and nodded.

Jiraiya noted down all the jutsus quickly and said, "Well, that was interesting. In just ten minutes, you've shown me… let's see, yes, seven A-Ranked and four S-Ranked Jutsus. I am not giving the Rasen Tairengan S-Rank because its application in battle is limited. You understand that, right?"

Naruto nodded. Jiraiya said, "By the way, did you and Ino plan this from the start?"

Naruto frowned, "What do you mean?" The old man replied, "I mean that she also started with Shadow Clones to perform the Rasengan and its variants."

The Chunin smiled, and said, "We think alike, I guess."

Jiraiya decided to continue. "Anyway, that's eleven jutsus down, and two chakra affinities as well. How do you want to continue?"

Naruto said, "How about another S-Ranked Jutsu?"

He grinned and took out a kunai, before slashing his wrist. Blood spilled on the ground quickly, and once he had how much he needed, he stopped holding back the fox's regenerative powers. His cut healed quickly, and he began to sign.

"Hidden Arts: Blood Clone Jutsu!"

Jiraiya nodded as two blood clones of Naruto were formed out of the messy red liquid puddled on the ground. He punched one of them in the gut, and it doubled over in pain, but did not dispel.

"Alright, looks like they are holding up well."

Naruto nodded, and dispelled the clones. The blood went back to normal, and he said, "Now, for a little Kekkei Genkai stuff." He quickly signed and the blood began to float in the air.

Jiraiya watched curiously. He hadn't seen Naruto advance much in his Kekkei Genkai except what they had done during the training trip, so he wanted to know where the boy had reached. Naruto closed his eyes for five seconds, and then opened them again. The blood in the air formed a sword in an instant, and stayed upright in position.

Naruto kept his left hand in the hand sign and closed his right fist, before bringing out the index finger. He slashed through the air with his right index finger. The sword mimicked him and slashed through the air in the exact same way.

Jiraiya was suddenly reminded of Orochimaru a little. The way Naruto handled the blood-made sword was eerily similar to the way the necromantic shinobi used to handle the Kusanagi.

He continued watching as Naruto destroyed the sword and reformed the blood to create a thin whip. He twirled it around and lashed it around just like a physical whip. It was effective, no doubt.

Once Naruto was done, Jiraiya said, "You have a ways to go with that one, but I'll give it an A-Rank for now. The Blood Clone Jutsu is definitely S-Ranked, of course."

Naruto nodded and let go of the jutsu. The blood fell back to the ground.

"So, that's eight A-Ranked and five S-Ranked Jutsus. How about showing me the jutsus Kakashi taught you when you returned from the mission to save Gaara?" Jiraiya suggested.

Naruto said, "Sure."

He created nine clones. Each of them faced Jiraiya and Naruto said, "Each of them will perform one jutsu." Jiraiya took a few steps back. The clones began signing and started showing off their respective jutsus one after the other.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Trident Jutsu!"

Three giant tridents of lightning erupted from the hands of the clone, and sped towards the trees behind Jiraiya.

"Lightning Style: Stone Cracker Jutsu!"

The clone coated his hands with lightning and thrust them at a nearby rock, splitting it into small pieces.

"Lightning Style: Spark Darts Jutsu!"

Small darts of lightning burst from the fingers of the clone, and one of them hit Jiraiya, causing him to spasm uncontrollably for a couple of seconds. He could only wonder how bad it would have been if he had been hit by all of them.

"Lightning Style: Lance Spears Jutsu!"

Just like the earth based jutsu, spears shot out of the ground in front of Jiraiya, however, this time, there were ten giant spears of crackling white lightning.

"Wind Style: Wind Screen Jutsu!"

A giant wind went up, and the Sannin felt himself being pushed backwards with force. He had to use chakra to keep his feet held to the ground until the jutsu was cut off.

"Wind Style: Giant Wind Gale!"

"Yikes!" Jiraiya shouted as a giant gale of sharpened wind headed towards him. He quickly activated his own defensive jutsu, and sheltered himself in his own hair using the Needle Jizo.

"Wind Style: Four Winds Scattering Jutsu!"

The Sage didn't bother coming out of his hidey hole.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave Jutsu!"

Jiraiya poked his head out of his cover just long enough to see Naruto's clone sending blasts of wind at him.

"Wind Style: Impervious Wind Defense Jutsu!"

"Impervious Defense? Wait a minute!" The Sannin got rid of his jutsu and said, "Are you serious? You're performing the Impervious Wind Defense?"

The clone grinned and said, "Try me out." Jiraiya took out a shuriken and threw it at the clone. It boomeranged off an invisible shield of wind chakra and headed back straight for the Sage. He ducked underneath it just in the nick of time.

"Wow, that's incredible."

He noted down all the names, and then compared them to his database of jutsus stored in his brain. "Alright, that will be two S-Ranked jutsus, i.e. the Wind Defense and the Lance Spears, then one B-Ranked Jutsu, i.e. the Four Winds Scattering, and six A-Ranked jutsus."

Naruto's clones all grinned in synchronization before cancelling themselves out.

Jiraiya wiped his brow; the Giant Wind Gale had been a close one.

Naruto signed at Kakashi's speed and said, "Pervy Sage! I almost forgot this one! Secret Wind Style: Zero Point Gale!"

Jiraiya backed away as far from Naruto as he could, watching the winds pick up around him, screeching as they did. Naruto thrust his hands towards the trees nearby, and they were all cut to pieces in an instant.

Naruto panted, and decided to take a little break. Jiraiya counted his jutsus and said, "Holy cow, you've already gone past the requirements. You've got fourteen A-Ranked jutsus, eight S-Ranked jutsus, and one B-Ranked jutsu. And you still haven't shown me any C-Ranked ones."

Naruto said, "Let me get my breath, I have two more B-Ranked Jutsus to go, and one more A-Ranked Jutsu." Jiraiya almost face planted into the ground.

Five minutes later, Naruto had successfully executed the Wind Style: Cyclone Spikes Jutsu as his A-Ranked Jutsu, and the Earth Style: Stone Spears Jutsu, along with the Stone Jacket Jutsu as his B-Ranked Jutsus.

Jiraiya asked, "Did Ino teach you these?"

Naruto nodded. The elder shinobi said, "Well, that's the third element. Pretty good so far. I can tell you will easily make it to Tokujo this time, Naruto."

The blonde wasn't sure whether he should be happy at that or not. He replied by taking a chakra pill and said, "It's time for two more jutsus. One is only C-Rank and not elemental, but it is one of my favorites. Summoning Jutsu!"

A cloud of smoke went up and Gamatatsu appeared out of it. He waved at the two shinobi and said, "Naruto, the others are waiting." He disappeared immediately. Looking at the curious expression on Jiraiya's face, Naruto explained, "I called Gamatatsu in yesterday to tell him that I will be performing a Summoning tomorrow."

Jiraiya said, "I understood that, but what did Gamatatsu mean by 'the others are waiting.'?"

Naruto grinned, "I've been working on something." He reached into his psyche and said, "Kyuubi, gimme some of your chakra."

The fox, who had been watching the entire trial with interest, said, "**Why?**"

Naruto said, "I need it for a summoning. Come on, don't waste time, you know you want to see this."

The Nine Tails couldn't believe he was being sweet talked by that loudmouth. But curiosity got the better of him and he parted with some of his chakra reluctantly.

Naruto surfaced and saw Jiraiya with a tag in his hand. He shouted, "Wait, it's okay, I'm in control of the chakra, I just needed it for the jutsu I'm about to perform."

The older shinobi put his chakra siphoning tag back into his pocket, and said, "Very well. Go ahead."

Naruto signed, and shouted, "Ninja Arts Summoning: Toad Battalion!"

'Toad Battalion?' Jiraiya wondered what Naruto was thinking. It soon became apparent, as giant plumes of smoke went up in the air. As the smoke cleared, Jiraiya was stunned. There were no less than seven toads standing there. Gamabunta, Gamaono, Gamahiro, Gamaken, Gamakichi, Lady Shima and Lord Fukasaku.

Jiraiya couldn't speak. Words were failing him. True, Naruto had used the fox's chakra, but to summon so many of them… And the two elder frogs as well! Incredible!

"Wow, Naruto, this is an S-Ranked jutsu in itself. Amazing!" Naruto bowed exaggeratedly and turned to the toads. "Thanks a lot for your support, guys. It means a lot to me." They all waved to him except Gamabunta, who snorted, and they disappeared.

Naruto said, "Now, there's no time to show this to you, but you know that I can do the Weapon Forge Jutsu as well." Jiraiya said, "Yeah, I was going to put that in anyway."

Naruto said, "I guess that's all for now. I'm absolutely pathetic in Fire and Water Style so I can forget about those. And I guess these jutsus are enough to qualify me, aren't they?"

Jiraiya snorted. "Qualify? I'd be surprised if the Jonin Council doesn't faint at this list of jutsus. Counting the Weapon Forge Jutsu, you've got ten S-Ranked, fifteen A-Ranked, three B-Ranked, and one C-Ranked jutsu. You should be ashamed of yourself for having so many A-Ranked jutsus, but no decent C-Ranked ones."

Naruto looked worried, but then he noticed the twinkle in Jiraiya's eye, and the two of them laughed their hearts out.

Naruto suddenly said wickedly, "By the way, I have another C-Ranked Jutsu. You know which one, don't you?"

Jiraiya looked bemused only for a second, before laughing and saying, "The Sexy Jutsu isn't counted here." Naruto pouted, and said, "Fine, if you don't want to see it, why should I take any extra efforts?"

The older pervert said, "I don't mind seeing them in the least, but they won't be counted."

The knucklehead said, "Forget it, then. Hey, wait a minute! How could I forget that jutsu?" He took out his kunai and threw it at Jiraiya, who dodged under it. A second later, Naruto had a Rasengan aimed at Jiraiya's ear. "Hiraishin Stage Two."

The pervert was sweating bullets at the close proximity of the Rasengan, although he knew that Naruto would never hurt him on purpose. "You mind cancelling that Rasengan? It's pretty damn close to taking my ear off."

Naruto cancelled the orb and Jiraiya straightened up. He said, "You've become even faster at the Hiraishin. I guess you could compete with the Fourth Hokage for speed now. I'm tired of counting all your jutsus all the time now, I'm just going to put them in the list. Unfortunately, FuinJutsu doesn't come into the NinJutsu pillar, or you could have used to that to gain even more of an advantage."

Naruto nodded. "Well, I guess that's about it." Jiraiya said, "Well, you pass, no doubt. And there's still some time left. Ah, whatever, I can take the next participant a little early. Good job, Naruto, I'll make sure to emphasize on all the S-Ranked ones. However, you do know that this will mean that the Jonin Council will learn of your secret?"

Naruto said, "It's about time, too. They were bound to find out, otherwise they would never promote me to Jonin."

The Sannin nodded, and said, "Get going, then."

Naruto left the training ground, full of enthusiasm.

* * *

"Well, well, well." Anko Mitarashi smirked as Ino entered the small forest clearing. "My victim appears, right on time."

"Anko." Ino smiled slightly.

The proctor began explaining the test, "Alright kid, this is how it's going to work. In order to test your stealth and tracking skills, we are going to play Hide and Seek."

Ino nodded. Anko continued, "I will create three Shadow Clones, two to hide along with me, and one to stay here with you. You will wait here with my clone for ten minutes, after which it will dissipate, letting me know that you are going to start hunting. Now, once you begin, you will have an hour and half to find all three copies of me. To be fair, I will leave a few trails behind me. **If** you manage to pass the first test, we will switch places, with three of you hiding and me hunting. As long as even one of your copies avoids me for the allotted time, you pass. And you won't have to leave any trails for me either."

Ino simply nodded her understanding again.

"Oh, right. Other than any jutsus that enhance your senses, no GenJutsus or NinJutsus are to be used. Or TaiJutsu and KenJutsu for that matter. The rules apply to both of us."

Ino said, "Are the participants allowed to set traps?"

Anko smirked and said, "Not that they will do you any good, but sure, as long as you don't use jutsus to set them up, let your imagination run wild. Any more questions?"

"No."

Anko signed, and three more Ankos appeared next to her. One of them moved towards Ino, and the original said, "Good luck, kid. You're gonna need it."

Three Ankos headed into the woods, and Ino observed their direction carefully, before realizing that in ten minutes, Anko could have circled around the entire forest and reached behind her.

After the ten minutes were over, the shadow clone next to Ino winked at her and dissipated into a puff of chakra.

Ino quickly signed, "Ninja Arts: Five Sense Augmentation!" Her five senses immediately became much more sensitive than normal. She looked around in the direction that Anko had headed, and her GenJutsu augmented eyes immediately picked up a couple of trails heading towards the north. She began heading in the same direction.

As she headed into the trees, Ino noticed that Anko's footprints had disappeared. 'So, she headed up into the trees.' Ino quickly ran up the nearest tree and looked around. A slightly bent branch caught her attention and she looked past it to find a few more discrepancies in the environment. She smiled and began to track them.

A couple of minutes later, the trail hit a dead end, and Ino wondered where Anko could be. There was absolutely no indication that Anko had ever even been here. However, Ino was a specialist in stealth. She trained her ears to focus on the trees themselves, and sure enough, in a few seconds, she caught the sound of light breathing.

She turned directly towards the tree and said, "Anko, I forgot to ask you, what do I have to do after I find you? Do I have to tag you, or is finding you enough?"

There was no answer, so Ino quickly ran towards the tree and pulled at it. Sure enough, the chameleon tarp came off, revealing the fishnet and overcoat clad proctor underneath.

Anko gave her a sour look and said, "Tagging will be the indicator for the next two."

She exploded into a burst of chakra, and Ino realized that she was a clone.

Ino checked the time. "Around fifteen minutes. That gives me seventy five minutes to find the rest. I should get back to the start point."

She ran as fast as she could towards the starting point, keeping a sharp eye around in case there were any Ankos in the path. But there was nothing to indicate her presence, so Ino quickly reached the home base, before looking around again. One of the trails she had not noticed had been the one behind her, heading the other way.

The blonde quickly picked up on that trail, but realized that the chakra from here was rather faint. 'Is it a trap? Or a fake trail?'

She slowed down and looked around. There were no more footprints to follow anyway. The Jonin aspirant ran up a tree to get a bird's eye view of the surroundings. As she was about to give up the trail, she noticed a leaf out of place. It was enough for her. She picked up the leaf, and noted the direction it had come from.

"Ah, that way. Clever, Anko-san."

Anko had doubled back after reaching that point, with the leaf being the only indicator. Ino turned around on her heels and ran as fast as possible, following the leaf's direction towards the north east. She picked up the trail after a few minutes. After a few seconds, she noticed Anko's trail becoming more and more erratic, switching directions every few feet. But Ino kept up determinedly, and finally caught up to the Jonin, who was resting atop a branch.

Ino slowed down, narrowing her eyes. 'Why is she out in the open?'

Mitarashi smirked, "No need to get scared. This is my 'hard to follow' trail, so I don't hide."

Ino closed the distance between the two of them and tagged Anko. This one didn't vanish, though, so Ino said, "You're the original. So I guess I got a clone to find now."

"This took you only ten minutes," Anko said, trying not to sound annoyed. "Maybe you should hold back or something, you know, try not to completely humiliate me?"

Ino smirked, "I thought that you'd be more of a challenge."

Anko was really annoyed now, and said, "Oh yeah? I bet I'll find all of your clones and you in under an hour."

Ino waved goodbye as she turned and raced back to the home base at super speed. She had just over an hour left to find the final Anko, who was a clone. Once she reached the starting point, she looked around at the final trail, adjoining the first one, heading towards the north.

The wind had picked up, covering the tracks of this Anko. But even through the obstructions, the path was pretty clear to Ino, since this Anko had sacrificed stealth for speed, running all out. She wondered whether any other average shinobi would have been able to follow this trail, with the proctor running at this speed, leaving behind almost no trace of herself.

As she sped up, putting chakra into her soles to increase her speed, she wondered how Naruto's NinJutsu test had gone, and how the others were faring at their own tests. The little thought distracted her, and she suddenly realized that Anko's footprints had long stopped.

The blonde came to a skidding stop, and turned around, running back to the last point where Anko's footprints were visible. She couldn't see anything, however. The proctor seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Ino tried to remember the basic rules of stealth that the students had been taught at the Academy. She remembered Iruka sensei saying, "Even with the most advanced sensory abilities, most humans tend to focus on the horizontal plane. We mostly never look up or down."

Ino looked up, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. That left only…

She looked down with her sharpened senses and barely made out a chakra presence. The blonde quickly put her hand through the ground, which was soft since it had been recently dug up. As she continued through the ground, her hand touched the chest of the Jonin, and Ino said, "Found ya."

Anko emerged out of the ground with a grin. "I thought I had you there for a moment. Well, it did take you quite a while to find me, though. I guess you better get moving."

Ino smiled, "You are the last one. I already found the original Anko."

Anko's clone blinked in disbelief. "Well, then, I guess the game is over." She dismissed herself with a frown. Ino stretched her legs and started to run back to the starting point where the real Anko was waiting.

Anko looked really annoyed at having been beaten so easily. "You finished the test with fifty-five minutes to spare. I hope you're feeling good about yourself, because this is the last time you will."

Ino wasn't even the slightest scared by that and smiled, "We'll see about that."

Anko pulled out a pouch and took out a chakra pill from within. "Holding on to clones for so long can be draining. You need one?"

Ino shook her head, "I'm good."

"Okay, are you ready for the second round?" Anko prompted.

Ino crossed her fingers and intoned, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Three clones split off and one of them stepped off towards Anko. The original blonde and the other two clones headed into the woods.

After ten minutes were up, Ino's clone said softly, "Best of luck, Anko-san. You're going to need it." She disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Anko signed, "Ninja Arts: Obsessive Eyes." Her vision became sharper, and she began to see Ino's chakra brightly.

She signed again, "Ninja Arts: Nose of the Bloodhound." The Jonin's nostrils widened slightly, and her nose became sharper. She inhaled Ino's scent, allowing her to determine the direction in which Ino was heading.

There were three visible trails, two heading east and one heading to the north. One of the trails was the same one she had used, making it difficult to spot footprints.

"Clever, but not good enough to fool me," Anko said as she sped off towards that path. After a while though, Ino's trail vanished. Anko couldn't smell her anywhere near either. She looked up and saw a mark on a nearby tree. A few quick jumps, and Anko was atop a tree branch looking back towards the starting point. Surprised with the change in direction, she headed back.

"She came back." Anko mused, "But that leaves only two paths for her, and neither of them looks to be reused." Anko felt a slight respect for the Chunin. The false trail she had followed had already taken ten minutes of her time, and now she was no closer to finding Ino than she was in the first place.

As she thought, she suddenly realized that Ino's scent hadn't become any fainter since the Jonin had entered the starting point. "She's definitely been here recently. Could she have…? No, that would be unexpected. Wait, what am I saying, she's been with Naruto so long, he's probably grown on her."

She trained her eyes on the nearby trees, and sure enough, a moment later, she had her target. She ran towards a tree and flicked the trunk hard.

"Owww!" Ino's voice sounded under the chameleon tarp which Anko pulled away from her.

"Tag. And it took me only thirteen minutes."

Ino nodded with pursed lips, and then exploded into smoke.

Anko looked at the two paths heading east, and grinned. "Both in the same direction. That makes things easier. Now which one should I take? The one which looks more obvious? She must've gone through it really fast, seeing as she's not even bothered to clear the mess she made, heading into the trees. Or maybe she did it deliberately, trying to throw me off."

Then Anko grinned, "Or maybe, she just wanted me to sit here thinking instead of finding her!"

Without any further ado, Anko charged into the trees. However, a few hundred meters, she was forced to slow down as the path split into three. One continued onwards, one headed towards the south-east, and the last one veered upwards to the north.

All three of the paths looked pretty real, but Ino's specific scent was coming from the eastern track, so Anko followed that path.

And so it went on and on. Every few hundred meters, the path would split into two or three, making the Jonin pause and use her GenJutsu to determine Ino's real path.

After the seventeenth split, Anko was pissed. "What, is she planning to go to the Land of Lightning?" Ino had generally been heading towards the east, with minor detours to the north or south. So Anko had kept on that path. But on the next split, she hit a new roadblock. Of the three paths in front of her, none of them contained Ino's scent. Anko grimaced and took the left path, following it for a few hundred meters, before the trail hit a dead end. She scowled and backtracked to the last split, and chose the center path this time.

It continued onwards until the next fork a few meters ahead. "How on earth did she do this in ten minutes? How could she run so much and lay so many false trails?" The Jonin was tired now, and decided to finish it as fast as she could. She picked up speed and sprinted through the trees.

After around fifteen more forks, Anko noticed Ino standing in the center path in front of her, panting. She looked tired from all the running around. She held a stone in her hand, approximately a foot long and with a thin rope tied around it. Ino threw the stone into the ground on the left path, causing it to disrupt the foliage and create marks that looks quite similar to the balls of her feet. When the rock reached the end of the cord, Ino pulled it back.

"Very clever," Anko announced.

Ino spun around, looking at her proctor.

"But you didn't do this in the ten minutes," Anko said, annoyed.

Ino smiled, "You never said that we had to stop after the ten minutes were up. And most of the times, the best way to avoid someone is not to stop and wait for them to catch you."

Anko looked like she had been slapped. Then she smirked and admitted, "Fair enough. But I have you now."

Ino smiled again, and looked at her watch. "Are you sure about that?"

Anko looked at her own watch, and cursed as the time showed that her ninety minutes were up. She struggled to regain control of her emotions, and said in a strained voice, "Are you the real one?"

Ino shook her head, and Anko said, "Well, get lost then, and tell the original to meet me back at the starting point."

Ino nodded and dispelled. Anko took out a chakra pill, regaining some of her lost chakra due to the straining GenJutsus. As she felt strength returning to her body, she jogged back to the starting point and waited for Ino. To her surprise and slight irritation, Ino took nearly ten minutes to arrive.

"Where were you?!" Anko demanded. "The Land of Wind?"

"Well…" Ino said evasively…

"_Ino? What are you doing here?" Naruto gawked at her. He was in his house, practicing his weapons skills for the test in the evening. "Aren't you supposed to be at the stealth and espionage test?"_

_Ino smirked, "Actually, I'm in the middle of the test. We're playing Hide and Seek. Mind if I hide here for the next hour and half?"_

"_Sure," Naruto smirked. "What do you suggest we do?"_

_Ino grinned wickedly._

"You went to Naruto's place for a quicky?" Anko burst out.

Ino blushed only slightly at that and said, "Not really, we just made out. Well, mostly. And anyway, you never said that the village was off limits. Besides, it's always easier to get lost in a crowd."

Anko glared at her until she could no longer hold her composure. The Jonin burst out laughing, clutching her sides in pain as she did.

Ino looked completely bemused, and said, "What's going on, Anko? Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," the snake summoner wheezed, finally regaining a bit of control. "I just, saw a little bit of myself in you for a moment there, I guess. I never thought that you'd make me change my rules for the next time I have to do this."

She straightened up, trying hard not to giggle, and said, "Congratulations, Ino. You have passed the stealth and espionage test."

Ino bowed, "Thank you."

"Now get out of here, before I collapse in a fit of laughter." Anko ordered. Ino promptly took off.

Even as the gap between the two widened, Ino could hear peals of laughter emerging from the forest behind her.

* * *

"Well, Naruto, you slipped up a little with the pole. I'll have to give it a B-Rank, I'm afraid," Gai said.

Naruto nodded, as he put away the weapon. Gai continued to stare at him with some expectation.

"What is it, Bushier-Brow Sensei?"

"Well, the requirement for the test is two A-Rank, two B-Rank and four C-Rank weapons. And with your six A-Ranks and four B-Ranks, you've pretty much blown the test away already. But I was rather hoping to see your favorite weapon. It has become quite famous."

Naruto said, "To be honest, I wasn't really expecting to exhibit Kitsune here. Most people just diss it as a stand-in for a training tool anyway."

Gai frowned and Naruto continued hastily, "Of course, that's part of why I like it so much. It doesn't have a formal style, so most of the moves I know for the long sword, katana, short sword, mace and even the short spear, can be easily translated into the staff-blade."

Gai smiled as he took his nunchaku out of his pouch. "Naruto, I'm certainly not one to chide you for choosing an unusual weapon."

Naruto chuckled, "I guess not."

Gai stretched out the nunchaku, and pointed them at Naruto, "So, will you show me the infamous Kitsune?"

Naruto said, "I could, but like I said, there's no formal style to it. How will you give me a ranking on it?"

Gai smirked, "I think that is pretty obvious. You'll have to beat an acknowledgement of your skill into me. And if you're half as good as I hear you are, you should be able to mock a fight with me without hurting me."

Naruto grinned, and said, "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you." Kitsune suddenly appeared on Naruto's back, within its scabbard. He drew the blade in one smooth motion, and assumed a fighting stance. He extended Kitsune in his right hand, keeping his left hand free and balanced.

Gai mused, 'That is the jian's fighting stance. Which means that if I attack hard, he will try to redirect me, and I can use that to turn back for a quick shot to his head.'

Gai swung his nunchaku sideways at Naruto's chest, and as he expected, the Kitsune flicked out to intercept. However, instead of deflecting it, Naruto pushed the blade of his weapon into the chain of the nunchaku, pulling them to the ground. Gai went off balance, not anticipating this change of events.

Once Naruto had driven the nunchaku too far beyond return, he quickly pulled his arm back and stopped Kitsune just short of Gai's chin.

"Bushier-Brow Sensei, you should stop underestimating me and take this a little seriously, ya know."

The Jonin nodded, and took a few steps back. He opened the First Gate, knowing that he had little chance of holding his own against Naruto without the extra speed.

"I'm afraid that a spar will not be enough for me to acknowledge your skills, so we need to have an actual battle. Let's go, Naruto," Gai announced.

Naruto smirked, "Bring it!"

* * *

Gai stopped, raising his hand to indicate that Naruto should stop as well. The Uzumaki obliged.

"What is it? Are you alright?"

Gai nodded, breathing hard. He said, "I'm fine, it's just that we ran over. The trial ended long ago."

Naruto looked at the large clock hanging in the academy dojo. Then he grinned sheepishly, sheathing Kitsune into its scabbard. "Sorry, sensei, I guess I got too caught up in the fight."

Gai shook his head, "I was having too much fun. It's been a while since I've had a challenge like this."

Naruto and Gai shook hands, and Gai said, "Congratulations, you pass with flying colors."

"Thanks, Bushier-Brow Sensei!"


	54. Chapter 54: The Jonin Trials, Concluded

**Author's Note: Heyy, what's up everybody, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you guys today, and I've finished off the Jonin Trials in today's chapter. Also, get ready for a little mayhem, coz things are about to get real! Hope you guys enjoy today's chapter, and review if you do. Happy Reading!**

**PS: In my fic, the village elders do not know about the Fourth's marriage to Kushina. Just sayin...**

**Chapter 54: The Jonin Trials, Concluded**

"Good morning," the Fifth Hokage greeted the room. She faced the five proctors of the Jonin Trials, behind who the Jonin Council stood. The seating area on the left held the village elders Homura and Koharu, as well as the various clan leaders.

"For those who don't know, this is the evaluation meeting for the Jonin Trials, which completed two days ago. We will be going through the tests of each of the participants, and the proctors will let us know if that person has passed or failed. After that, we will open the floor to question from the Council and any comments, before deciding the candidate's fate. Any questions?"

There were none, so she continued. "Since there are no objections, we will start our candidates' list with those who are renewing their credentials. First on the list…being me."

Some of the Jonins gasped, not knowing that the Hokage had taken part in the trials. Iruka paled, while Jiraiya began sweating.

Tsunade ignored their reactions, "Do any of my proctors object to me retaining my official rank?" They all shook their heads, Neji rubbing his right wrist with his left hand.

"Good, then next…"

"Hold on," Koharu said. "You seem to be skipping ahead. Not to mention, it looks almost like you tortured the proctors into voting for you."

Tsunade smirked, but inclined her head and waved her hand to indicate that the Elder should continue.

"Iruka," Koharu said, "You took Tsunade's GenJutsu test on Tuesday, did you not?"

The Academy teacher nodded.

"And did she meet the requirements?" Homura picked up where Koharu left off.

"She more than met the requirements." Iruka said softly. "She broke five GenJutsus each for ranks D through A. And she showed me three S-Rank, four A-Rank and six B-Rank techniques."

Whispers began filling the room but Koharu ignored them. "Can you list the jutsus?"

Iruka shuddered, and began listing the jutsus. As he did, the rest of the council noticed a common factor. More than half of the jutsus were for interrogation or for breaking morale on a military scale. Koharu glared at Tsunade, "You tortured him?"

"That's a little harsh," Tsunade said. "I used less than half the techniques I know, and those weren't even my worst ones. Nor did I hold them so tightly that Iruka wouldn't be able to break free."

Koharu turned back to Iruka, "Do you have any complaints?"

Iruka shook his head, and said, "Lady Tsunade gave me fair warning about the type of techniques she knew. And she did allow me to break through almost instantly for the tougher techniques."

Koharu switched her target to Jiraiya and said, "Why are you sweating so much? What did Tsunade display in her NinJutsu trials?"

Jiraiya said nervously, "Out of the sixteen required NinJutsus, Tsunade showed me thirty two, all B-Rank and above, the only exception being the Summoning Jutsu. I can list them at the request of the Council."

The whispers renewed. Koharu ignored them and turned to Neji. "How was the TaiJutsu trial?"

Neji smiled slightly, "As expected of the legendary Sannin. I almost lost the use of my right wrist simply while sparring against Lady Tsunade. She passed with flying colors."

Koharu turned to the remaining proctors in annoyance, "I suppose there is no point in asking you, is there?"

Both Anko and Gai shook their heads.

"Fine." The elder sighed. "Let's move on, then."

Tsunade grinned. "The next on the list is Hatake Kakashi."

Anko began without preamble, "Kakashi was the one who took my stealth test when I was trying out for Jonin. So there's really no need to even say it, although I will. He found all my clones in under thirty minutes, and I was only able to find one of his clones in the entire allotted time. He was the absolute best candidate I had to test in this exam, surpassing even Lady Tsunade in stealth skills."

Taking it from there, Gai said, "Having been my rival from childhood, I knew there was no need to even take the test. However, Kakashi showed me three A-Ranked, four B-Ranked and six C-Ranked weapons. Also, he showed mastery of the throwing knives at S-Rank."

Homura frowned. "Throwing knives aren't ranked above B."

Gai nodded, and said, "Kakashi can do the Uchiha Deflection Technique with utmost perfection. It was eerie, almost like I was watching Itachi."

Another round of murmurs went off. Tsunade raised her hand to quieten them and said, "Kakashi, would you like to explain?"

Hatake looked at her lazily, and said, "Itachi taught it to me when we served in the ANBU together." Looks of understanding dawned upon everyone's faces.

Koharu said, "Continue, please."

Neji said, "Kakashi well surpassed the requirements for TaiJutsu. I must say that there are very few unarmed fighters here who match up to him. He easily gives Gai-sensei a run for his money."

Iruka smiled, "Kakashi's gifted eye renders GenJutsu useless against him. And it also gives him an advantage in deceiving others. He was able to show me over fifteen GenJutsus in the allotted time, and also managed to break seven GenJutsus from D through A, as well as three S-Ranked GenJutsus." Tsunade turned towards Jiraiya.

Jiraiya said, "Well, everyone knows Kakashi's nickname, don't you? The Copy-cat Ninja? Well, in the allotted time, Kakashi showed me over fifty NinJutsus, all over B-Rank. In addition, of course, was the C-Rank Summoning Jutsu."

Everyone gaped at Kakashi. Tsunade smirked, "I've long since said that Kakashi is the only person who can take my place should anything ever happen to me. And after hearing these reports, I doubt that there are any who disagree. Does anyone have any objections to Kakashi retaining his position as Jonin?"

No one so much as moved. Tsunade said, "Very well. Kakashi, congratulations." The Jonin bowed slightly.

* * *

"So, Takashi will remain a Tokujo." Tsunade said. Everyone nodded.

"This brings us to the remaining list which comprises of Chunin hopefuls. First on the list is Sakura Haruno."

Gai said, "I must say, Sakura handles weapons well. She has trained well under you, Lady Hokage. She has an enormous amount of strength in her arms, which works well, considering that her primary weapon of choice is a battle axe."

Tsunade smiled. "Any complaints?"

Gai shook his head, "She performed splendidly and more than met the requirements of the test."

"Very well. Neji?"

Neji came forward and said, "Halfway through the test I wondered whether I was fighting Sakura or you, Lady Tsunade. She is probably one of the top ten unarmed fighters in our village, and can hold her own against any of the Jonin present here now, including Gai-sensei and me as well."

Iruka said, "Sakura's GenJutsu was on par with the requirements. It seems that she didn't waste time with GenJutsu after your training, Lady Tsunade. She showed me exactly the required amount of GenJutsus, and broke the required amount as well."

Tsunade nodded and said, "I focused her training on TaiJutsu, so that is to be expected. Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya said, "Sakura is well versed in two of the five chakra elements, and showed me enough jutsu to pass the test."

Anko said, "She passed the test, although she didn't do as well as I expected her to. She made a few silly mistakes in hiding and so I was able to find her clones easily enough. Her original managed to avoid me, though. However, she was also able to find all my clones and me in the time limit, so she passed."

Tsunade said, "Very well. Sakura exceeds the minimum requirements for all five pillars. I propose we award her the rank of Jonin. Any objections?"

Koharu said, "She has quite the temper."

Tsunade replied tartly, "If that was a disqualifying factor, neither of us would ever be promoted. And probably not Anko either."

Anko smirked.

Tsunade shrugged, "Let's put it to a vote. All those in favor of Sakura Haruno being granted the rank of Jonin?"

Most of the council raised their hands, and the remaining few followed, once it became apparent that the motion would carry.

"Wonderful." Tsunade said. "Alright, the next candidate is, Ino Yamanaka. I'd like to begin with Anko."

The snake summoner scowled and said bitterly, "Ino was able to find all of my clones and me with fifty five minutes remaining. And, she and one of her clones managed to avoid me for the entire allotted time. The kid is quite creative."

Jiraiya said, "Of the sixteen techniques that were required," he looked into his papers, "Ino showed me nineteen. She also showed mastery in Earth and Lightning elements. I can list the jutsus at the request of the Council. Ino also showed great mastery in her clan jutsus."

Iruka said, "Ino was able to throw off every GenJutsu I put her under. She also showed me a few GenJutsu that are well beyond the required minimum. Some of them were the same interrogation techniques that Lady Tsunade used. So I think it is safe to say that she passed the GenJutsu pillar."

Neji spoke, "Ino was sufficient in the TaiJutsu pillar. She has improved a lot over the recent weeks, and showed me enough hand to hand techniques to pass. Not the best candidate for TaiJutsu, but good enough for Jonin."

Tsunade nodded, and turned to Gai. He said, "Unfortunately, I cannot make things as easy for Ino as the others. Ino just barely made it past the minimum requirements, but her primary weapon is her throwing knives. She did achieve an A-Rank in it as she was much better than the standard rank, however, I do not know whether the Council will accept her primary weapon for the Jonin Trials."

Tsunade said, "How did she do with the other weapons?"

Gai said, "Well, she managed to show me two A-Rank and two B-rank weapons, and four C-Rank as well. That is the minimum requirement anyway. However, her form with the B-Rank weapons was a little less polished than I'd like."

Tsunade thought about it a little. She turned to the other proctors and said, "Did any of you have any complaints with Ino's performance?" They shook their heads, and the Hokage said, "I believe that with a little more practice, Ino will do better in KenJutsu. And as you said, Gai, she has already passed the minimum requirements, which are set for a reason. I propose that she be given the rank of Jonin. How many of you agree with me?"

Not a single Jonin remained neutral, and Tsunade carefully counted the votes…

* * *

"Last, but definitely not least," Tsunade said, as she looked at the list, "is Naruto Uzumaki. Neji, you can begin."

Neji said, "Naruto is undoubtedly one of the finest unarmed combatants that the Leaf Village could have produced. He is adept in over ten styles of combat, two of them which amazed me. He started with his weakest style as the Tiger Style, and was able to numb my arm simply while blocking my jab."

Whispers began anew among the Jonin Council, and Neji continued, "Furthermore, the two styles that he showed me apart from the regular styles were incredible. One of them was the coveted Frog Kumite style from Mount Myoboku, which requires nature energy to master completely. He was able to punch me without even physically touching me."

Most of the Jonins raised their eyebrows; few of them had heard about nature energy, and those who did were awestruck that the dumb kid from four years ago had mastered such a technique. Jiraiya smiled in satisfaction.

Neji said, "It was the second style, however, that got me really dumbstruck. It was easily Naruto's best style. It was none other than the famous Iron Monk style." The two elders looked at each other in disbelief. Another set of murmurs were set off in the room.

Koharu leaned forward, "Are you sure about this?"

Neji said, "After the TaiJutsu test was over, I went over to the Leaf Archives and checked the Fourth Hokage's old videos. It was undoubtedly the same style. Naruto was even able to adapt it better. Curiously, he told me that his mother, Kushina Uzumaki was the inventor of this technique."

Tsunade said, "That is true. I knew Kushina well, and she invented this technique."

Homura said, "But how did the Fourth Hokage learn this technique, then? It was arguably his best technique, and he would have to have spent a decent amount of time with Kushina if he wanted to learn it."

Tsunade replied unflinchingly, "The Fourth Hokage was acquainted with Kushina Uzumaki after he saved her life from some rogue ninjas once, who had tried to kidnap her. After that, they became good friends, and I imagine that she taught him the technique."

This explanation seemed to put everyone's minds to rest.

Tsunade said, "If that is all, let us proceed. Jiraiya?"

The Sage smiled, having waited for this moment for a long time. Although he didn't need to, he looked into his papers and said, "Of the sixteen techniques required, Naruto showed me thirty techniques."

Everyone looked at each other again; no one had expected Naruto to have improved so much. Jiraiya continued with a grin, "The only C-Rank jutsu he knew was the Summoning Jutsu. He also had three B-Rank Jutsus. But the astonishing factor about his NinJutsu list is that he had fifteen A-Rank Jutsus and eleven S-Rank Jutsus."

Everyone looked thunderstruck at that.

"Eleven S-Rank Jutsus? List them," Tsunade demanded, more for Koharu than herself.

Jiraiya nodded, and said, "Naruto can use the following jutsus at S-Rank. Wind Style: Rasengan, Wind Style: Rasenshuriken, Lightning Style: Rasengan, Lightning Style: Rasenbolt, Blood Clone Jutsu, Lightning Style: Lance Spears Jutsu, Wind Style: Impervious Wind Defense Jutsu, Wind Style: Zero Point Gale, Ninja Arts Summoning: Toad Battalion, the Weapon Forge Jutsu, and last but not least, the Hiraishin Jutsu."

Everyone stood up at that. Tsunade said, "Calm down, everyone."

Koharu said, "He knows the Hiraishin? How is that possible?"

Jiraiya said, "You might be forgetting, Koharu-san, that the Fourth was my student. I had all his notes on the Hiraishin, and passed them on to Naruto when he was ready."

Neji said, "Naruto was able to perform the Weapon Forge Jutsu in the trials?"

Jiraiya shook his head, and said, "There wasn't enough time for that, since the Weapon Forge Jutsu takes a long time. However, I have seen his creations with my own eyes and I can vouch for his perfection in the jutsu."

Kakashi nodded and said, "I too, have seen Naruto's crafting ability with the Weapon Forge Jutsu. I guess everyone in the room is aware of his weapon, the Kitsune."

Everyone nodded slowly.

Koharu said, "What was that jutsu you spoke of in the middle of the list? Summoning Toad Battalion or something? Summoning Jutsus, as you yourself stated, are C-Rank jutsus."

Jiraiya explained, "The standard summoning, perhaps. But, Naruto was able to summon seven toads from Mount Myoboku in the same summoning, two of whom are toad elders, and one who is the chief toad. Alongside, there were three giant toads and one midsized toad, who is incidentally the son of the chief toad."

Tsunade whistled; she had not known about this one either. Shikaku Nara asked Jiraiya, "Naruto can perform the Impervious Wind Defense Jutsu?"

Kakashi interrupted, "Yes, he can. I taught him that jutsu, even though I myself cannot use it above A-Rank. However, since his natural affinity is wind chakra, he can use it at S-Rank."

Tsunade said, "I guess that is enough about NinJutsu. I believe that Naruto has proved himself in that pillar. Let's move on to Gai."

Gai smiled, "Naruto performed splendidly in the weapons test. He was able to show me six A-Rank and four B-Rank weapons, apart from Kitsune, his primary weapon of choice, in which he displayed a mastery of S-Rank."

Everyone raised their eyebrows. Tsunade smirked, knowing Naruto's mastery in weapons had increased a lot after he had returned to the village. She turned to Anko.

"Naruto was really good at hiding and making me slow down by using traps. However, he took seventy five minutes to find all my facsimiles, and I was able to find two of his copies in the allotted time. The original was able to avoid me, so I suppose he passed."

Tsunade nodded. She glanced at the elders, who didn't seem too happy about the current situation. It seemed that neither of the elders had wanted Naruto to advance in his career.

Iruka looked down sadly as Tsunade turned to him.

"What is the matter, Iruka?"

The Academy teacher looked back up, and said, "Naruto failed the GenJutsu test. In fact, he failed spectacularly. He failed to break D-Rank GenJutsus that even Academy students can break, and was unable to show me any techniques as well."

Tsunade said, "I see."

Iruka continued, "However, Milady, there was a certain scenario that played out while I was conducting Naruto's test. If you would like to hear it, it might give you an opinion on why Naruto's GenJutsu abilities are so much worse than anyone else."

Tsunade said, "I already know the reason, having come across it recently. However, the rest of the Council will need to know, so go ahead."

Iruka nodded."

"_Good morning, Naruto," Iruka said. Naruto muttered an incomprehensible wish and stood in front of Iruka silently._

"_Is something the matter?" Iruka said, noticing how subdued Naruto looked. When the question didn't gather any response, he tried a different tactic._

"_Did Ino's distraction mess up your weapons test yesterday?" Naruto turned red briefly, but shook his head. "Nah, it went great."_

"_Then what is it?" Iruka pressed gently._

"_It's this test, sensei," Naruto complained, "There is no way I can pass."_

"_You practiced a lot with me, Naruto, I'm sure it can't be that bad." Iruka said._

"_To tell you the truth, Iruka sensei, I feel like I haven't advanced in GenJutsu at all ever since I left the Academy."_

_Iruka took a moment to pity his student, before saying, "Naruto, I'm going to tell you something that very few people know now."_

_Naruto looked up towards him, and Iruka continued, "You know that I was a Chunin before you left for your training trip, right?"_

_The boy nodded._

"_Well, when I was younger, I had tried taking the Jonin Trials while trying to keep up with Anko. She made it to Tokujo that time. But I totally screwed up the NinJutsu and TaiJutsu tests, and though it was close, I also failed the stealth and espionage test. I was so ashamed of myself that I never even tried it again until I met you, and saw your determination. It made me feel like I could advance as well. That is why I tried for Jonin again when you left. So, even if you make a fool of yourself here, I'd say you're in pretty similar company."_

"_Thanks, Iruka-sensei," Naruto managed to smile._

"_So, let's begin. After all, the only thing worse than failing is failing to even try, right?"_

"_Right," Naruto said. "And it's not like I've ever been afraid to mess up before."_

"_That's the spirit," Iruka said. "Now, first of all, we'll begin with your ability to break GenJutsu."_

_Naruto's smile disappeared instantly, but he nodded._

_The proctor said, "We'll start with something simple to get you into the groove." He quickly signed and whispered the name so that Naruto couldn't hear it. Then he took out a kunai and turned it over in his hand. As Iruka displayed the kunai, it suddenly seemed to grow longer and sprouted a hilt, until it was finally a broadsword._

_Naruto put his palms together and rotated the chakra in his body. "Release." _

_Nothing changed. _

"_RELEASE!" Naruto proclaimed loudly, pressing his palms together. But there was still no change. Iruka began advancing towards him. _

"_Come on, please release," Naruto begged as the sword started descending towards his head. No longer sure that it was an illusion, Naruto jumped behind to avoid the blade._

"_Naruto," Iruka scolded, "there is no way a kunai could cut you from so far away."_

_Naruto blinked as Iruka's GenJutsu faded away, and realized that if he had held his ground, the kunai would not even have come within a foot of his body._

"_Sorry, Iruka-sensei, "Naruto said, rubbing his finger under his nose shamefully. _

"_Well, let's try another one," Iruka said. He signed and then split into two. Though one of him was the regular one while the other Iruka looked to be about eight years old, wearing a t-shirt and shorts._

"_You can see two of me, right?" Iruka said. Naruto nodded._

"_And which one is real?"_

"_The one on my right, of course." Naruto sounded annoyed, as he pointed to the adult Iruka._

"_Good," the pair of Irukas nodded, "Now make the fake one disappear."_

"_Right," Naruto said firmly, shutting his eyes. "Fake Iruka-sensei, Release!"_

_When he opened his eyes, however, both versions of his teacher were still there. He repeated the process, but before he could complete it, he was interrupted._

"_**This is stupid.**__" _

_Naruto looked into his psyche and said, "What is? My trying to get promoted?"_

"_**Well, that too. But I meant playing around with these illusions. Real is what you choose it to be. If you don't want the child counterpart of your teacher to be around, destroy it with your Rasengan. Trying to do anything else is a waste of energy.**__"_

"_Shut up." Naruto growled under his breath. Iruka looked at him in confusion and he explained, "The fox is distracting me."_

_He kept trying to release the GenJutsu but was unable to do so, until Iruka stopped the GenJutsu himself. "Forget it, just show me what GenJutsu you know."_

"_Sure," Naruto said indifferently. "This is the one I learned in the Academy."_

_He signed and intoned, "Ninja Arts: Face Changing Jutsu."_

_Slowly, Naruto's face became longer and his nose grew in size. _

_Iruka waited, but Naruto said, "That's it." _

_The proctor was confused. Although the Face Changing jutsu was only D-Rank, most shinobi used it to change their entire appearance in a single instance of the GenJutsu._

_Iruka said, "Are you sure?"_

"_Yeah," Naruto admitted with a sigh. _

"_**Why change your appearance with an illusion instead of doing it for real?**__" The Kyuubi prompted._

"_Just shut up, you damn fox!" Naruto exclaimed loudly._

"_Naruto?"_

"_Nine Tails keeps bothering me about how GenJutsu is a waste of time and energy," Naruto said, irritated. "He says instead of wasting chakra on illusions, I should just use NinJutsu to do the same thing for real."_

"_Really?" Iruka considered that. "And what will he say if I tell him that I can make a forest with GenJutsu, but not with NinJutsu?"_

_Naruto paused for a minute, then said, "He just made fun of you."_

"_What did he say?" Iruka continued, curious._

"_He said that Hashirama Senju could make a forest with NinJutsu, so you are obviously no match for him."_

_Iruka chuckled. "Well, I would never claim to be an equal of Senju Hashirama. I mean, there is a reason why he was the first Hokage, hailed as the God of Shinobi."_

"_Now he says you are smarter than you look."_

"_Alright, enough. Let's just continue with your test. Do you have any more jutsus?" Iruka prompted._

_Naruto said, "Well, if I'm going to fail anyway, why not fail big? My best A-Rank jutsu, the Masking Storms GenJutsu."_

_Naruto completed the hand signs confidently. But nothing happened. Iruka watched Naruto sadly as the Chunin focused as hard as he could on the technique. _

"_I'm sorry, Naruto, but nothing is happening. Maybe you should try again."_

"_Yeah, I guess." Naruto formed the seals of the illusion more slowly and deliberately. Familiar with the jutsu, Iruka could tell that his student was performing the jutsu flawlessly. And the amount of chakra that Naruto was burning could almost be felt by him. But despite that, his GenJutsu never activated, and never invaded Iruka's chakra system._

_Iruka said, "Maybe you should try something less complex," Iruka said._

_Naruto tried and flawlessly performed six B-Rank and four C-Rank GenJutsus, using up vast amounts of chakra, all with no impact on Iruka at all._

"_Are we done here, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto finally panted, exhausted._

"_Yes," Iruka said, sparing a look of sympathy for his favorite student._

_Naruto hurried out of the room, and Iruka allowed himself to show his worry for the boy._

"So, to caption," Iruka said, "I believe that Naruto's ability to break or use GenJutsu has been compromised by the…his…"

The proctor struggled to find words, but was saved by Tsunade. "For the purpose of this discussion, let us call the fox demon as it is, to make things easier. And I am sure that no one here is stupid enough to degrade a hero of this village in my presence."

"Our presence, you mean," Jiraiya, Iruka, Anko and Kakashi said in unison.

Kakashi spoke up, "I have read certain accounts that seem to indicate that the Kyuubi is especially susceptible to GenJutsu. It is possible that Naruto's use of the Nine Tails chakra has transferred that ability to him."

Tsunade sighed. "Regardless of the conditions, Naruto has failed the GenJutsu test and therefore, he cannot be made a full Jonin. However, Tokujo is definitely on the table."

Everyone nodded, and Tsunade continued, "Naruto has passed four of the five tests, and three of them by more than a notable measure. That is far more than what is required for Tokujo rank. Is there any objection to granting Naruto the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin?"

Not a single member of the Council was in opposition.

"Then we are done here," Tsunade said. "I will get the paperwork done and the results will be posted in two days. Dismissed."

* * *

It was a bright and sunny day when the participants of the Jonin Trials gathered outside Ninja Ops to look at the makeshift noticeboard that had been placed there, announcing the results of the trials. However, the noticeboard was blank.

As they watched, the Hokage came walking out of the door, carrying a large rolled up scroll in her hand.

"I should let you know," she said, "that those who have not been promoted have not made this list. Also, no one has been demoted. The rest of you will find your names and results here. If you have made Tokubetsu Jonin, you will also find the classification that the Jonin Council has decided as your specialty."

She looked behind her, as the proctors for the trials walked out of the building. She continued, "If you have any questions, you can take them up with the proctors." Tsunade stepped over to the noticeboard and unsealed the scroll, pinning it up.

Once Tsunade stepped back, the crows of shinobi surged forward to try and find their names. Naruto pulled Ino's hand and hurried towards the board, anxious to know the result despite being almost certain of it. When the blondes made it within range of the board, Naruto noticed that the results were simply a list of names. He quickly took a look at the list from top to bottom, making sure to note the ranks of his friends as well.

**Aburame Shino – Tokubetsu Jonin – Tracking Specialist**

**Haruno Sakura – Jonin **

**Hyuga Hinata – Tokubetsu Jonin – Melee Specialist**

**Tenten – Jonin**

**Rock Lee – Tokubetsu Jonin – Heavy Combat Specialist**

**Nara Shikamaru – Jonin**

**Akimichi Choji – Tokubetsu Jonin – Melee Specialist**

**Yamanaka Ino – Jonin**

**Uzumaki Naruto – Tokubetsu Jonin – Melee and NinJutsu Specialist**

And the list went on.

"YOSH!" Naruto shouted, "I knew I would make it to Tokujo! Believe it!"

Ino smiled at his excitement. He turned to her and embraced her warmly, before pulling her closer and kissing her deeply. Although a little surprised by the suddenness of the kiss, Ino returned it fully, immersing herself into the pleasure it gave her.

A few seconds later, the two blondes broke apart, and Ino said, "Congratulations, Ruto-kun."

He smiled and said, "Congrats to you too, Ino-chan. You made Jonin, and that is something that I was sure would happen."

The two of them made it out of the throng of ninjas gathered around the board, and met up with the rest of the Konoha 12. Suddenly, Naruto realized something. He excused himself and scanned the list again.

"What the f…" Naruto began, but stopped mid-sentence as he looked up at the roof of Ninja Ops. A lone figure stood atop the building, gazing out at the village, his raven hair fluttering in the wind.

Naruto shunshined up to the roof, and stood beside him.

"So, you didn't take part in the trials after all, I see."

Sasuke looked stoically ahead, and replied, "I don't need to prove my skills to anyone and you know it. The trials would have just been a waste of time."

Naruto turned to glance at him and smiled, "You would have made Jonin, ya know. Unlike me."

"Rank does not equate to skill. I thought that you of all people would remember that, after having faced opponents like Haku." Sasuke commented.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Although, Sakura's going to be pretty sad that you didn't bother giving the trials."

Sasuke turned towards Naruto. "She made Jonin, didn't she?"

"Uh huh."

The Uchiha turned back towards the wonderful view in front of him. "I guess she really did take me seriously back in the day."

Naruto shook his head, "Not just that. She really does love you, Sasuke."

The raven haired boy made no comment, choosing to remain silent. Naruto put his hand on the boy's shoulder, and was secretly glad that Sasuke didn't shrug it off.

"You know, it might not be a bad idea to get that attitude down a notch, Sasuke. It'll really help. I mean, I know you pride yourself in being an Uchiha, one of the elite shinobi in the village, but that doesn't mean you should hurt others around you by ignoring them. Look below."

Sasuke glanced down, and saw Sakura staring up at him, her hands joined together, fingers tapping nervously.

"She's dying to talk to you, but she know that you'll probably just ignore her anyway," Naruto said. "She's no longer the fan girl who used to annoy you back in the day. We've all changed a lot, and I'd like to think that it is for the better."

Sasuke looked back down at Sakura, who gave him a fleeting look of sadness before turning around and joining the rest of the Konoha 12.

Naruto said, "I'm gonna say this once, Sasuke. Forget the past, and focus on the future. I have a feeling it's going to be really bright."

He took his hand off Sasuke's shoulder, and was gone the next instant.

* * *

"So, you didn't get promoted, huh?" Naruto said. "That's a bitter pill, mate."

"Yeah, it sucks," Kiba said, sighing heavily. "But it's not like I didn't expect it or anything. My GenJutsu and KenJutsu was borderline going in, but I didn't really expect to fail in NinJutsu. Somehow, I wasn't able to get my best jutsus to work."

The others silently nodded, knowing that those two pillars tended to be a ninja's weakest areas.

Kiba forced a grin, "It's alright, though. At least I know that I'll definitely be ready in two years' time."

Hinata tapped her fingers nervously, and said, "I'm…I'm sure that you will, Kiba-kun."

Choji smiled and said, "Kiba, we are all with you and we will support you until you achieve your desired rank." Everyone vocalized their agreement.

Naruto said, "Of course we will. That's what friends are for!"

Sakura stood off by herself, a little to the side from the main group. Naruto walked over to her as the rest of the newly promoted shinobi began making plans for celebration.

"Hey, Sakura. Congratulations."

She replied, "Thanks, Naruto."

The girl began to walk away, but Naruto stopped her.

"What is it, Naruto? I want to be alone for a while."

"I know what you want to know. You want to find out why Sasuke didn't give the trials, don't you?" Naruto asked. Sakura's eyes shot up to him, begging for an explanation.

"Let's go and celebrate with the rest of our friends, and I'll walk you home later. We'll talk then."

Sakura took a look at his smile and returned it, "Okay. Let's go."

The two of them returned to the group, who had already begun an impromptu party.

* * *

Jiraiya looked out towards the crowd below the Ninja Ops from his vantage point atop the Fourth Hokage's head. He did not need to look to recognize who was walking up to him.

"I'm surprised you're not down there with them, celebrating their promotions," he said.

"I wasn't in the mood," Tsunade countered dryly.

"Are you still upset about Naruto and Sasuke not making Jonin?" Jiraiya asked quietly.

"Nah, not upset." she softly replied.

"Disappointed?"

"It's quite hard to be disappointed by something that you are expecting anyway," Tsunade answered.

"Well, then, I guess melancholy is the word you're looking for." Jiraiya smiled, looking at her.

"I guess that's probably the best word," she agreed.

"Come on, Tsuna, you know it will happen sooner or later," the Toad Sage said.

"Will it, Jiraiya?" the Hokage countered apprehensively. "By the time we were their age, we had already been Jonin for at least a year."

He ignored her smug look, and said, "Like I've been telling you and many others from years, rank doesn't equate to skill. I might have lost a step in the last few years but I don't have any doubt that I'd kick sixteen year old me's ass with my hands tied behind my back and blindfolded. Also, I don't hold any illusions that I could beat any of those kids without surprising them. If anyone is worthy of taking up our places, it is those three."

"I don't know, Jiraiya," Tsunade shrugged. "Lately, I've been wondering whether we should let the title of Sannin die with us. It was forced upon us by Hanzo of the Salamander, and hasn't exactly been a blessing."

Jiraiya shook his head firmly. "The Sannin are the three ninjas who protect and inspire the Konohagakure. And although the three of us might have fallen short, I think that the current team 7 might be up for the challenge."

"I'll think about it," Tsunade said, noncommittally. Then she smiled, "You've been here a long time now. Aren't you going to head out for research any time soon?"

Jiraiya pouted, "If I didn't know you better, I'd believe that you are actually allowing me to write more Make-Out books."

Tsunade grinned, and he sighed. "Fine. I'll head to the Hidden Cloud as soon as I can. But I'm not making any promises."

She nodded. "You got it."

The pervert pulled her down and said, "Now sit down and enjoy the view. It's a beautiful day."

* * *

"Well, what do you think, Zetsu?"

The plant like shinobi turned to look at Madara Uchiha. The black part said, "I see only one of them worth inducting into the Akatsuki."

Madara picked up the information card of the shinobi Zetsu was indicating at, and said, "Yes, I was also thinking along the same lines."

White Zetsu said, "So, what's the plan here, Madara-sama? Are you going to look for more replacements for the Akatsuki?"

The immortal Uchiha nodded, "It's been far too long. My plan has been delayed enough. I am going to rebuild the Akatsuki from the ground up and complete my plan."

Black Zetsu said, "Will you ever find anyone as good as the original Akatsuki?"

"Shinobi…are constantly evolving, Zetsu. No matter how good you are, there will always be someone else who is better. As the generations of shinobi continue to grow, so do their skills. In my time, all that was required to become a Jonin was to defeat one or be acknowledged by one. That isn't the case anymore, though. Ninjas in today's world are quite different from our time, and mostly for the better."

He looked at the card stacked across his desk and said, "Although it seems as though the Cloud Village is pitiful. I don't see a single Jonin apart from this one capable enough, and this guy is already a missing-nin."

White Zetsu smiled, "Well, the original Akatsuki also comprised of missing-nin. Why change the tradition?"

"Because, times change. We are in control of an entire village now. What use is it if none of them are talented enough?"

"Well," said Black Zetsu, "the ones who are talented already left the village, taking the Fourth Raikage's body with them. If you hadn't allowed them to go, we'd have a couple of good soldiers with us today."

Madara folded his hands, "It is useless to think that way. They were bold enough to leave, they would never have turned to me. Never mind that. White Zetsu has said something useful for once. We need to go through the Bingo Books and find more missing-nin for the Akatsuki."

"And what about this one?" Black Zetsu asked.

"We will have to find him, and bring him here by any means possible."

Zetsu nodded. He picked up the information card put it into his robes. Madara turned to look out of the window. He saw a white bird flying towards the tower, closing the distance between them rapidly, and smiled. "It is time to bring back one of my old friends to me, Zetsu."

* * *

Naruto and Ino strolled along the road at a leisurely pace. Having been given a few days off after the trials, the two of them had decided to take it easy for a while, by going for a swim.

Naruto took Ino's hand, and she put her head on his chest. The two of them continued to walk in contented silence for about an hour, until they reached the outer wall of the village. They waved goodbye to the guards at the gate, and strolled off towards their destination.

After almost another hour of tranquil walking, the forest around them began to thin out, and the roar of a waterfall made its way into their ears. Moments later, they reached the sandy beach surrounding the pool at the base of the waterfall.

Naruto took out a scroll from his pocket, and opened it, before signing thrice. A rug appeared on the scroll, surrounded by a grill, a packet of chicken, and a cooler filled with mineral water. Along with these items were a couple of towels, and spare clothes. Ino was already in the process of removing her skirt and top. Naruto turned towards her to tell her that he was done, and his jaw dropped.

Unlike the last time, Ino wasn't wearing her matte black swimsuit. Instead, she was clad in a Cornish blue bikini, composed of a halter top and hipster boy briefs. Although not as revealing as the previous time he had seen her in a swimsuit, Ino was undeniably looking sexier than last time.

Noticing Naruto's slight nosebleed, Ino laughed. Naruto closed the space between the two of them and swept her off her feet into his arms, kissing her passionately. Ino returned the kiss wholeheartedly, losing herself in the moment.

After they broke apart, she asked playfully, "Does this mean you like the new suit?"

"Ino, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever set gaze upon," Naruto replied softly. "And if you think that you could look bad in anything, I haven't been telling you that enough."

Ino pushed him away playfully and began heading into the water.

"STOP!" he ordered. Ino froze at the sudden change in his voice and turned to look at him, completely bemused.

"You can't go in the water until I put sun block on you," he said, grinning.

"Okay!" Ino agreed eagerly. She jogged back to where Naruto had unsealed everything and spread out the rug. She lay down on it, and Naruto took out a plastic bottle containing the sunblock. He kneeled next to Ino, and rubbed some of the lotion all over her exposed back and legs. Although, with the time and effort that he put into it, it practically turned into a full body massage than a simple sunblock application.

Ino moaned softly as he rubbed his hands repeatedly up and down her legs and back. Naruto turned her around and cupped her face, before gently rubbing the oil into her cheeks, nose and forehead. His hands moved lower, towards her neck, all the while firmly pressing the lotion into the pores of her skin.

Slowly, his hands moved past her breasts to her stomach, and he caressed it lovingly, kneading the sun block into her skin. Ino closed her eyes, allowing herself to immerse into the blissful heaven of pleasure that Naruto was subjecting her to.

"All done," he finally announced. She let out a disappointed groan. Then she opened her eyes with a snap, and sat up, staring at him expectantly.

"That means it's your turn," she said. "Take off your shirt."

Naruto readily obliged, stripping to his shorts and laying down on the rug. Ino spread the oil across his arms, legs and face. Then, she made him sit up straight, and pressed her breasts against his back hard, as she wrapped her arms around his body to apply sunblock to his chest. Naruto couldn't help but drool a little as he tried hard and failed to suppress his lecherous grin from spreading across his face.

Finally, Ino couldn't keep up the pretense of applying sunblock to his chest anymore, and she had to move to his back, quickly applying the lotion to his shoulder blades. After completely coating him in sunblock, she slid to her feet and ran back to the water.

"Oy, Ino, wait up!" Naruto scrambled up, but she just laughed.

"You want me, come catch me!" She dived into the pool.

"Oh, that's how you want to play it?" Naruto said in mock anger, and dived into the pool after her. Once fully underwater, he looked at her hungrily. She saw him coming for her and swam away as fast as she could. However, Naruto was known far and wide for his stamina. He torpedoed after her, using puffs of wind chakra to increase his speed. He caught up to Ino relatively easily, and pulled her into an underwater kiss.

The two of them continued their kiss as they pushed back towards the surface. As they broke into the air, he ended the kiss. The two of them floated in the water for a few seconds, gasping, but exhilarated. Suddenly Naruto slipped free of Ino, swimming away.

"Tag, you're it," he told her, before diving underwater. Ino's surprised look changed to that of determination and she followed him underwater.

* * *

After around two hours of swimming, the sun had reached the highest point, and Naruto announced his intent to eat. Ino joined him, and the two of them began to prepare. Naruto went to gather firewood, while Ino set up a ring of stones for a fire pit. The knucklehead set up his grill atop the fire pit, and Ino set a small fire to the wood.

Naruto grinned happily as he started grilling the chicken, and Ino looked at him, amused. The male blonde looked to be in a world of his own, poking the chicken with a stick, smiling as he observed the progress.

"Ruto-kun, I thought you didn't like cooking," Ino said.

"This isn't cooking, Ino-chan," Naruto told her, "This is grilling. No prep time, no cleaning, just a man and his flames."

Ino smiled back at him. The two of them continued to make small talk as Naruto finished grilling the chicken.

After lunch, Naruto lay on the rug, sighing with satisfaction, Ino lying atop him with her head on his chest. She snuggled upwards and kissed his nose lightly, causing him to grin.

"There's not many times that we can get to unwind like this, are there?" Naruto said. Ino replied with another kiss, "You got that right. Although, these moments keep me satisfied for a long time."

Naruto put his arms around Ino, and just stayed where he was. Ino said, "You know, we haven't really talked about getting married yet. At least, not seriously."

He looked straight at her and said, "That's true, I guess. We are engaged, after all. What are you thinking? You wanna get married soon?"

Ino thought about it, and said, "Nah, I'm good as we are right now. I just thought, we've been engaged for a while, so I wanted to get your opinion on it."

Naruto said, "Well, I've spoken to Grandma Tsunade, and there might be a slight…complication in the whole marriage thing."

Ino frowned, "Complication? What do you mean?" She sat up and allowed Naruto to do the same.

He said, "Well, you are slated to lead your clan, right?"

The Yamanaka nodded. Naruto continued, "Well, so am I."

Ino was blank. Naruto said, "Remember what I told you about my Kekkei Genkai? It indicates that I will have my own clan someday, and the rules of the Hidden Leaf actually are quite strict about two clan heads getting married to each other. It is not usually allowed, since that would make the two clans much more powerful than any other clan."

Ino scoffed, "What a rubbish rule this is, Naruto. As if anything like that is going to happen between us."

Naruto looked at her seriously, and said, "Ino, you might want to re-think that sentence. You see, this rule was approved by the First Hokage due to the adamancy of the Hyuga Clan, and reinforced by the Third, due to Hiashi Hyuga's stubbornness. As of now, there has been no change in that rule."

Ino looked at Naruto with tears in her eyes, "What do you mean to say, Naruto? That we can't get married?"

The male blonde cupped her face and said, "Of course not, Ino-chan. I'm just saying that it could be a while before I get rid of that repugnant rule that is keeping us apart from becoming one."

"Wait a minute. If you knew about this rule, then why did you ask me to marry you on my birthday?" Ino asked.

"I came to know about the rule afterwards, Ino. Grandma Tsunade called me in specially to inform me that we can't get married until that rule is removed, and that is only possible if Hiashi Hyuga relents."

Wheels were spinning in Ino's head. She suddenly smiled as a proverbial light bulb flicked on inside her head. "Naruto…What about Hinata and Kiba?"

Naruto looked flummoxed at the sudden deviation. "What about them?"

Ino looked at him excitedly, "Hinata and Kiba both are slated to lead their respective clans as well. If Hinata is able to convince Kiba, then she can help us indirectly, by making her father remove that stupid rule. If that happens, then we can get married too."

Naruto said, "That's a good idea…with one exception. This is Hinata you are talking about."

Ino's face fell as she digested that. "I guess you're right. I got too excited too fast."

"Don't worry, Ino-chan," Naruto said. "I'll figure something out."

Ino smiled, and Naruto kissed her forehead, reassuring her. As he looked above her head, however, his eyes widened, and he pulled Ino towards him. An explosion went off where Ino had been seconds ago, and Naruto stared at the remains of what looked like a white falcon.

"Deidara," he growled. Naruto looked up at the sky, and sure enough, Deidara was hovering atop his giant white bird, one hand in his clay pocket, and the other shaping another missile.

"Hello, Naruto. You were able to escape last time, because of Kakashi. But you won't make it out of here this time. You will witness my art and be caught in its magnificent explosion!"

Naruto literally face-palmed and said, "Do you honestly think that your art is going to be good enough to capture me?"

Ino looked behind her, sensing trouble. Sure enough, Zetsu ascended from the ground, and began walking towards them. Deidara sent a rain of clay hawks from above, and it was all Naruto could do, trying to dodge them as well as keep Ino out of harm's way.

As Deidara's attack ended, vines sprung up from the ground, trying to ensnare the two Leaf shinobi. But Naruto summoned Kitsune and slashed at the vines with the wind broadsword extension. Ino looked behind, and Zetsu had vanished.

The forest nearby had given the advantage to the plant like shinobi. He used his chakra to bring the vines from the forest into the waterfall area, and began trapping Naruto and Ino within them. Naruto had also summoned one of his special kunai, made with the Weapon Forge Jutsu, and given it to Ino to defend herself.

The two of them slashed at the vines continually, keeping an eye out for Deidara as well.

"We're losing," Naruto whispered.

"I thought we're doing well so far," Ino whispered back, worried by his attitude.

"No, they're toying with us," he explained. "You know that Deidara was able to take out Gaara. And we don't know almost anything about that guy Zetsu, except that he uses plant based jutsus."

"So, what do we do?"

"Give me a second, cover me." Naruto slashed his own wrist, allowing the blood to flow freely. A few moments later, he allowed the wound to begin closing, and signed, "Hidden Arts: Blood Clone Jutsu!"

Three clones formed out of the puddle of blood lying on the sandy floor, and they began cutting at the vines as well.

"I was actually hoping that you would have a plan," Naruto whispered, "but I guess we can use two of my clones to keep these vines away from us while we try to take out bomber man. And the third clone could try to locate our plant guy."

"It is a _workable_ plan," Zetsu agreed dubiously, as he sprouted up in between the two of them. Naruto glanced back, and noticed that one of the two clones had been wrapped up by the plant vines, while the other two were busy trying to get close to Deidara.

Both the Leaf shinobi jumped away, but Zetsu followed Naruto, while more vines erupted from the ground in front of Ino. Zetsu's fingers turned into thorny extensions, and headed for Naruto's chest, too suddenly and too fast to dodge. He tried to block with Kitsune, but the extensions wrapped around them and kept going. Naruto started to create the wind broadsword again, but before he could, Zetsu's fingers lightly struck his chest.

The Akatsuki member pushed Naruto away, and he landed on his feet, suddenly feeling weak and light-headed.

"What did you do to me?" Naruto mumbled, trying to stand straight.

Black Zetsu said, "I poisoned you with a rare breed of my own toxins. Most people who get injected by it end up in a coma of ten days or so. But with you, I guess I'll be lucky to get two days out of it."

"It will still be enough," White Zetsu said, shrugging.

"Naruto!" Ino shouted, trying to make her way to him. She managed to cut through the stalks blocking her, but the opening she made was too small, and the edges of the cut plants tore at her skin and bikini, leaving her with scratches and close to losing her already minimal clothing.

Zetsu turned around instantly and kicked her back into a fresh layer of vines, which wrapped themselves around her limbs, ensnaring her.

"Time to go," Zetsu said, as he walked over to the now unconscious body of Naruto, and began to wrap him up in tendrils. He also took Kitsune with him, and wrapped it in a cocoon of its own.

"Deidara, I'm leaving now. Follow me when you are done here."

He vanished into the ground, leaving the area. Ino cried out in anger and pain, as she tried to get free of the vines surrounding her. Deidara continued launching clay missiles at the clones fighting him.

"NO! NARUTO!" Ino screamed as she slashed away madly at the vines, which were now losing strength and withering, as they began to collapse without Zetsu's chakra. One of the clones, who had been trapped in the vines, looked at the other two, who nodded. He quickly shunshined next to Ino and teleported them away.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Ino screamed, trying to get free of the clone. The clone stopped about one mile away from Konohagakure, with a sad look on his face.

"There is absolutely nothing you can do back there to help our original. That plant guy is way too fast to follow anyway, and with the real Naruto gone, we will lose power as soon as he gets out of range."

Ino nodded, in spite of herself, tears streaming out of her eyes.

"What do I do now?"

"We will hold them off as long as we can, though I don't know how long we'll last with our real body getting further away every second. You have to get back to the village and get reinforcements. Crap, I've used too much chakra."

The clone turned back into a puddle of blood, and Ino forced herself up. She knew that the Akatsuki would try to clean up loose ends and would come after her unless she headed into the village. Only one idea crossed her mind, and she crossed her fingers. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Five clones split off, and she sent them in different directions to distract Deidara while the real one charged into the village.

"Was that…" Lee looked doubtfully at the blur that ran past him without a pause. Tenten nodded, recognizing Ino's blonde hair instantly.

The platinum blonde continued at full speed straight to Ninja Ops. She poured massive amounts of chakra into her legs, causing damage to them, but allowing her to run much faster than normal. Her bare feet were bloody, and she was running out of chakra, but she didn't care.

"Ino?" Sakura noticed her old rival racing up the stairs of the Ninja Ops building, and quickly followed. Ino charged past Shizune, practically busting the door of the Hokage's office off its hinges.

"INO, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Tsunade roared, as she stood up in anger. Shizune shuddered as she stepped into the room after the younger kunoichi.

"The Akatsuki have kidnapped Naruto." Ino said fiercely.

"Oh no! Naruto!" Sakura whispered, standing outside the door.


	55. Chapter 55: Konoha's 12, AWOL?

**Author's Note: Heyo, guys, CannoBaller here with another chapter for you guys today. Hope you guys enjoy it. As always, review if you like the chapter, and even if you don't! Happy Reading!**

**Chapter 55: Konoha's 12, AWOL?**

Tsunade sat down heavily on her chair, putting a hand to her head. Shizune looked shocked; how could this have happened? The Hokage pushed her worry for the Jinchuuriki away and looked straight into Ino's eyes. "How did this happen?"

Ino took a deep breath and began to explain what had happened at the waterfall. By the end, she was in tears. "The plant guy, Zetsu, pulled Naruto into the ground. I was going to give chase, but one of Naruto's blood clones pulled me away, asking me to come to the village for help."

She wiped away her tears and glared at Tsunade. "What are you waiting for? We need to go, we have to save Naruto."

"It isn't so easy, Ino," Tsunade sighed heavily. The Hokage had struggled to restrain herself when Ino was explaining the situation, but she had now calmed herself down and was beginning to plan strategically.

"What? What are you talking about, Lady Tsunade?"

Shizune closed the gap between herself and the Yamanaka, and began to heal her. Tsunade pulled out a map and showed it to Ino. "We made this map with intel from our spies. It shows the locations of the Akatsuki bases throughout the nations. There are eleven of them, and these are just the ones we know. Naruto could have been taken to any of these bases, or to a base we still have no knowledge about. Are you starting to see the problem?"

Ino opened her mouth to argue, but Tsunade cut her off, "Anyway, even if we knew which base Naruto was headed to, we can't simply send a squad of heavy combat ninjas into another country. It would pretty much be seen as an act of aggression which could lead to the beginning of a war. Also, I'm pretty sure that he won't be in our country, the Akatsuki are too careful that way."

The platinum blonde was speechless. She couldn't believe what the Hokage was saying. "Are you implying that we do nothing at all?"

"Ino, the extraction of the Tailed Beasts takes at least three days. Even longer if there aren't nine members," Tsunade said. "In fact, I was surprised to hear that the Akatsuki took Naruto, considering that they don't have enough members to perform the extraction in time."

Even Shizune looked a little wide eyed at that statement. But it was nothing compared to Ino's expression.

"Excuse me, Milady, I need to go and change into my regular outfit," Ino said with her face lowered.

The Hokage looked at her closely, but was unable to understand what was going on in Ino's mind. She said, "Go ahead. I'll call for you in a while, in case we find out anything about Naruto's whereabouts."

Ino nodded quickly and hurried out of the office, hardly noticing that she was completely healed.

Shizune walked over to the Hokage and said, "Are you seriously implying that we aren't going to send a tracking squad after the Akatsuki immediately?"

The Senju did not answer immediately. Instead, she pulled a drawer out of her desk, and pushed a button hidden behind it. A scroll appeared out of nowhere in the otherwise empty drawer, and Tsunade opened it quickly, almost tearing it in her haste.

As Shizune watched in surprise, Tsunade began signing, and the scroll started smoking. As the Hokage finished the hand signs, the scroll revealed a mirror.

"Milady, what is that?"

"Later, Shizune."

Tsunade took the mirror and spoke into it. "This is Tsunade Senju." She scowled, hating using her surname. "I request an immediate emergency meeting at the Council of Shadows."

The mirror began to shine. Shizune looked at Tsunade, clearly confused at what was going on. "Milady?"

Tsunade peered intently into the mirror, and looked satisfied a moment later. "All the other Kages are going to honor the call. I will be gone for a while, Shizune, I want you to handle the situation here until then. And inform Jiraiya that I am heading into a meeting with the other Kages at the Council of Shadows."

Shizune struggled to understand, but nodded. Tsunade sat in her chair, and began signing again. A moment later, a purple door began to form in the office. It seemed to be a portal of sorts. The Senju took a last look at Shizune and said, "If anything goes wrong, I expect that you and Jiraiya will be able to handle it. Am I wrong?"

Shizune shook her head in utmost determination. The Hokage gave her a ghost of a smile and turned the handle of the door, stepping into the darkness beyond.

* * *

As soon as she was home, Ino got rid of the remains of her bikini. She quickly got into the shower to cleanse herself of all the grime, blood and sweat she had picked up in the battle.

After she was done, the kunoichi popped two food pills into her mouth, knowing that she needed her full chakra for what she was about to do. Generally, taking more than one food pill at a time was considered dangerous, except for the Akimichi clan, but Ino was angry and upset, so she simply ignored what was otherwise common sense.

She quickly slid into her uniform, the black variant of the purple uniform she used to wear before she was nearly killed by Doraku. Taking a moment to consider it, she decided against wearing her Chunin vest, knowing that its weight would just slow her down.

Ino then went into the spare room, where she and Naruto had created an emergency supply of equipment that could be picked up in urgent situations. She pulled a belt of scrolls out and strapped it around her waist.

Finally, the girl pulled out her Leaf headband, and looked at it. After it had stopped fitting at her waist, the girl had never got around to wearing it. She sighed and tied the headband around her neck, similar to how Hinata used to wear hers. She suddenly remembered that her cellular had been at the waterfall when she had been swimming. It was probably gone by now. 'That means I will have to run around and find everyone the old way.'

The girl took a look at herself in the mirror, and steeled herself. With no more preparation to be done, she shunshined out of the house, on the search for her friends.

* * *

Behind the purple door was a small room, no bigger than the Hokage's office. She looked around at the other four doors in the outer wall. They were all closed. A small round table sat in the center of the room, with five chairs around it.

As Tsunade moved to sit in the chair in front of her, the door to her left opened, and the Fifth Kazekage walked in. Two figures detached themself from behind Gaara, and darted out the door behind Tsunade. She grinned at Gaara, whose lips turned upwards ever so slightly.

As Gaara took his seat, the door opposite to his opened up, and Mei Terumi walked in. She inclined her head to Tsunade, and winked at Gaara, who turned slightly pink.

"It's been a while. I hope you are well, Lady Tsunade, Lord Gaara," the Mizukage said. The other two Kages nodded in response. Mei sat on Tsunade's right.

The three of them looked at the last two doors, and Tsunade started tapping her fingers on the table impatiently. "What's taking him so long?"

Finally, the left door in front of her opened, and the oldest Kage of them all walked out regally. Onoki looked at Tsunade with annoyance, as though she had disturbed him at a very important time. He floated upwards into his chair, and said, "Where is A?"

Tsunade frowned at him. "What do you mean? Have you not received the news about A's death?"

Onoki raised an eyebrow at that statement. How had he not heard about this? "This is strange. When did this happen?"

"A while ago. I was sure that the news would have reached everyone."

The Tsuchikage scowled. Then he remembered, and said, "What about the Eight Tails? If A is dead, who is controlling him?"

It was Tsunade's turn to scowl. Trust the old geezer to keep the Tailed Beasts in mind. "The Eight Tails Jinchuuriki is in our village for now. Some of the Cloud village ninjas deserted when A was murdered."

The leader of the Hidden Rock Village said, "That makes me nervous. I do not like the thought of you having control over two of the most powerful Bijuus in the world."

Tsunade said, "I know that, old man. But I called this meeting urgently for a reason. Naruto Uzumaki has been captured by the Akatsuki."

Onoki pursed his lips in thought after hearing that statement. Gaara looked mildly shocked, while Mei had no reaction, having no personal relation with the Jinchuuriki.

Mei turned to Tsunade, and said, "How did you know that Madara Uchiha would not answer the call?"

"The Kages are the only ones who know about the Council of Shadows. They only ever tell their successors about the mirror, and A would never be foolish enough to tell that Uchiha about it."

Onoki came out of his thoughts with a jump, and asked, "What's this about Madara Uchiha?"

Tsunade sighed and explained everything to him. The Tsuchikage was internally shaking by the end of it, remembering the drubbing that Madara Uchiha had given him when he was but a child.

The Hokage said, "That is enough of time wasted already. I need to speak about what needs to be done to find Naruto before his Bijuu is extracted. We cannot allow the Akatsuki to have any more of the Tailed Beasts."

"And?" Onoki shrugged. "What do you want us to do?"

"Ideally," Tsunade said, starting to lose her temper with the old man, "I would want you to help me find him. But, barring that, any updated intelligence you have on the Akatsuki would help. Or at least allow Leaf squads into your countries for a rescue mission in case Naruto is being held in any of your nations."

Onoki looked at Mei, who said nothing. He couldn't gauge her reaction, and wondered whether she had allied with the Leaf. Without A to support him, he knew that the Leaf and Sand alliance would out-speak him. But if the Mizukage had also allied with Tsunade, then he would have no choice. Still, he tried his best.

"Why should we help? Isn't this an internal matter for the Leaf Village?"

Tsunade clenched her fists underneath the table to stop herself from punching the old man on his stone-like nose.

"The Akatsuki will destroy this world if they are allowed to operate, and you know it. I am willing to overlook any transactions you may have made with them in the past, in order to get Naruto back. I hope that you will co-operate."

Onoki turned red in anger at being associated with the Akatsuki, although it was not far from the truth.

'I need help if I'm going to do this.' Ino ran through the streets of Konoha. 'The Akatsuki are extremely powerful. I'm going to need a lot of people for this.'

She decided to call in Shikamaru and Choji first, knowing that they would do anything for her, and Naruto as well. However, she was out of luck, as Shikamaru was not at home, nor at his favorite cloud watching spot. Neither could she find Choji, who wasn't at home either, nor was he at any of their favorite restaurants.

'I could go find Lee and Tenten. They were supposed to be on guard duty today,' Ino thought. She raced towards the gates of the village, but her heart sank when she saw Genma and Raido standing there. She stopped next to them and said, "Hey guys, have you seen Lee and Tenten?"

Raido nodded, "Yeah we just relieved them from duty a few minutes ago. Tenten said something about a shower and Lee said he was going to train for a while."

Ino thanked them and took off towards Tenten's house, not wanting to leave the village to search for Lee in the training grounds. However, Tenten was not at home, as it became evident after she didn't answer ten doorbell rings. Ino decided to look for Team 8, and went to Kiba's house.

However, after half an hour, the blonde wondered whether someone was playing a cruel trick on her. She had not been able to find absolutely anyone out of the Konoha 12. Sakura hadn't been at home, the hospital, or at Ninja Ops. Kiba had been out of the house, probably training as well. And Shino and Hinata might as well be invisible.

After leaving from Shino's house, Ino had been forced to hide from Kakashi, but his casual walk told her that the Hokage had not informed anyone else about Naruto. She wondered whether to approach him, but wasn't sure whether he would help or say the same thing as the Hokage.

Just as Ino was deciding to leave the village and head towards the training grounds, fortune favored her, as Sakura's voice sounded behind her.

"INO!"

She turned around in relief and said, "Sakura, you have to come with…"

Sakura cut her off, "I know what's happened. Everyone's waiting for you at training ground 7."

Ino blinked. Everyone was waiting for _her_? She nodded and the two of them sped towards the training ground. For the second time, she passed Genma and Raido, this time not even stopping to look at them.

The two guards looked at each other in surprise. In the last half hour, they had seen at least ten of the Konoha 12 running out in the same direction.

"Call Ninja Ops," Genma said, "Something's up."

* * *

"Strap him down tight."

"Yes ma'am."

The scientist who was barking orders to her assistants was in her mid-thirties, of average build, and a very pale complexion that looked as though she never went outside in the sun. Her large glasses hid the color of her pupils, which might have been blue or green, depending on the light.

Zetsu handed her Kitsune, and she said, "What is this?"

"A chakra bonded weapon," the black part of Zetsu said. "It is connected to him. Even if it isn't helpful in the extraction process, we thought it might help to study him."

The scientist's eyes gleamed. "A weapon with the Nine Tails' chakra. Never seen something like this before."

Then she put the weapon aside, focusing on the task at hand. "What did you hit him with?"

"Snakeroot Essence," the white side of Zetsu answered lightly.

"Isn't that a little too much?"

"He regenerates," Black Zetsu said, "and that too extremely fast, from what we've heard. Anything else wouldn't have even kept him out long enough for us to bring him here."

"Alright, fair enough. Would you kindly tell Tobi that we are beginning the examination?"

"Tobi?" Zetsu asked in confusion.

"Tobi was left in charge of the Akatsuki, wasn't he?" the scientist asked. Suddenly Zetsu realized that the lesser members and researchers of the Akatsuki still did not know about Madara. He had still kept the Tobi disguise running for them. He nodded and left.

* * *

"What are you implying? That I made use of the Akatsuki in some way?" Onoki demanded.

Tsunade said, "I wasn't implying anything. But by the way you are reacting, you let your actions speak louder than your words."

Onoki was about to say something, but Gaara spoke quietly, "The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

The old Tsuchikage was left sputtering at that. Tsunade gave a slight smile to Gaara. 'Thanks, kid.'

Mei proper herself up on the table with her elbows and said, "Every moment we stay here, Naruto Uzumaki gets closed to being killed and his demon extracted. I would rather not have the Akatsuki get their hands on the Nine Tails."

Onoki knew that this was the beginning of the end, he was starting to get cornered. Mei's little statement had confirmed it to him; she was allied with the Leaf and probably the Sand as well.

"I still don't see why I should help you. What's in it for me?"

"You old geezer…" Tsunade began, her temper flaring. Gaara cut in, "Onoki-san, the Akatsuki is led by Madara Uchiha. Do you honestly want to face him? That too with him in control of the Nine Tails?"

Onoki shuddered slightly, despite himself.

* * *

"Tobi," the scientist nodded at him as the masked Akatsuki member entered the lab.

"My, my," Tobi said casually. "What a big fish we have here. Should we gut him?"

"Actually," the scientist hesitated, "There is a problem."

"Hmm?"

The researcher walked up to the Jinchuuriki, and placed her hand on his stomach. She sent a little chakra into her hand, and a seal began to glow on Naruto's stomach. The Eight Trigrams seal appeared, and Tobi said, "So?"

"Hold on, Tobi-sama."

As he watched, another seal began shining around the Eight Trigrams Seal. The masked man raised an eyebrow. "Another seal? What does this mean?"

The scientist said, "I took a look at it, and looked it up. This is the Divine Zodiac Seal. One of the strongest seals in the world."

Tobi put a hand to his chin, thinking. Behind the mask, Madara thought, 'This is unexpected. I never expected to have another seal over the Eight Trigrams Seal. For us to break the two seals, this would take a lot more time than expected. Especially since we aren't using the regular extraction method.'

He turned around to the scientist and said, "How much time will it take to drill through both the seals safely?"

The scientist replied, "Around eight days, three for the Eight Trigrams Seal, and five for the Divine Zodiac Seal."

"I see. And what if you go faster?"

"The Five Elements Drill can go much faster, but it greatly increases the risk of the Jinchuuriki dying, or the demon being set free. The seals could probably both be broken in five days, but there would be a seventy percent chance that the Nine Tails would escape and kill us all."

Tobi nodded sagely, "I'd like to avoid that."

"And what if you only drill through the Zodiac seal?"

"I could probably get that done in ten hours or so. But given the way that the two seals have been interlinked, there would be almost a ninety percent chance that the fox would escape."

Tobi nodded. "I guess I'll just have to unravel the seal, then."

"You can do that?" The researcher asked, amazed.

"Maybe." Tobi said, his voice oddly serious. "Leave the room. Everyone."

"Why?" the scientist asked.

"I need my secrets."

The scientist looked at her assistants, who quickly exited the lab. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Are you sure about this?"

"We don't have much of a choice," Tobi replied. "The reports from Zetsu and Deidara show that the Yamanaka girl who was with Naruto escaped. Konoha must already be mobilizing their forces. There isn't enough time to sit around thinking. Besides, unraveling the seal will take me about twelve hours and will be safer than drilling through it."

The scientist nodded and left the lab. Tobi reverted back to his normal dialogue, and looked at Naruto with his Mangekyo Sharingan. "It's been a long time. Out you come, my rebellious servant."

* * *

Ino and Sakura came to a skidding stop at the training ground where everyone else was assembled. The platinum blonde took a quick look around, noting who was present. She was unsurprised to see Lee, Tenten, Neji, Choji, Shikamaru, Hinata, Kiba, Shino and Sasuke there. However, she was slightly surprised when she saw Temari and Kankuro standing there as well, along with a female kunoichi she didn't recognize.

"Temari, Kankuro, how come you guys are here?"

Temari smiled, "We came here for a different reason, but heard about what happened to Naruto so we decided to help. After all, we will never forget all that the Leaf, and Naruto in particular, have done for Gaara."

Ino thanked the two of them. She turned around to face the unknown kunoichi. "I don't think we've met before. Who are you?" she asked.

The kunoichi replied, "I'm Sasame Fuma. I'm an old acquaintance of Naruto. I bumped into Sakura as she was calling everyone out to help. I am honored to be able to help out Naruto, who helped me out a lot in the past."

Ino nodded. Sakura said, "Alright, guys, let's move out."

Ino took a deep breath. "Wait a minute," she said. Everyone stopped and looked at her. "Before we leave, I have to tell you guys something."

Everyone looked at her in confusion.

The blonde said, "Naruto was worried that this day would come sooner or later. So he made me promise him that before I let his friends try to save him from the Akatsuki, I would tell them why they had taken him in the first place. Naruto wanted you to know the truth before putting your lives at risk for him."

A few of the people in the group still looked confused. Sakura looked concerned, "Ino, you can't. You know the law. And we need their help."

Ino turned to Sakura. "The law doesn't apply here because this is Naruto's wish," she said, "and anyway, this is not a mission. We could be treated as rogue ninjas from now on, if we do this. They deserve to know the truth."

The girl steeled herself for the reactions from the group and said, "Naruto is the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox."

She looked around, gauging the reactions of everyone. Temari and Kankuro didn't even flinch. Sakura and Sasuke also knew about this. However, what she didn't expect was for Shikamaru and Neji to know about this. Choji looked mildly troubled, and glanced at Shikamaru. Seeing the Nara calm, he decided that he would remain quiet as well.

Lee looked a little shocked, but didn't say anything. Tenten looked at Neji, and seeing his reaction, decided against saying anything at the moment. Shino didn't betray a reaction. Hinata looked slightly worried, and glanced at Kiba. However, the animalistic shinobi was the only one who opened his mouth.

"What the hell, Ino? This isn't the time to be joking around."

"This is no joke, Kiba," Sakura snapped. "Not to us, and especially not to Naruto."

"The Nine Tails is the reason that the Akatsuki have captured Naruto. They intend to extract the demon from within him," Ino said, "and Naruto wanted his friends to know the whole story before trying to rescue him."

"What rescue?" Kiba said harshly, "Why should we even go through with this?"

Before Ino or Sakura could speak up, Shikamaru said casually, "Naruto is our comrade. And more than that, a friend. He has always put our well-being before his own, and helped us through tough situations, though he never needed to, judging by the way we all used to treat him."

"But Shikamaru," Tenten said softly, "we would be helping the demon who killed so many of our shinobi, and nearly destroyed our village."

She looked at Neji after she spoke and was distraught at the disappointment in his face. The Hyuga said quietly, "Iruka sensei's parents were killed in the attack against the Nine Tails. He does not begrudge Naruto for it."

"Yeah, well Iruka-sensei may be some sort of saint," Kiba growled, "but that doesn't mean we put our necks out for that monster!"

"HE'S NOT A MONSTER!" Ino roared and slapped Kiba hard across the face. The force she put into it made Kiba tumble onto the ground. Ino was livid, cold fury radiating from her face.

"He's not a monster! He's a human being, who was forced to become a host for a demon spirit his entire life! If anything, he protected us from that demon, by containing it within his body." Tears began to roll down her face as her emotions began to overwhelm her.

"I know that I'm a newbie in your group, since I'm not originally from this village," Sasame said softly, "and I really didn't know that Naruto is a Jinchuuriki. But from what I know, Naruto is the kindest and most generous person that I know. I had once betrayed him, and he not only forgave me, but also helped me in a difficult time. So, Jinchuuriki or not, I will help him."

"You're right, Sasame," Tenten said, looking upset with herself, "Of course we will help him. Sorry, Ino."

Naruto's girlfriend dried her tears and said, "You don't have to apologize. Naruto expected that people would react like this. He never wanted anyone to feel that they were tricked."

"Well, _I'm_ sorry," Kiba said, "but I'm out. Even if I accept that Naruto and the Fox are two separate beings, that monster killed half of my clan. I think that it deserves whatever the Akatsuki plan to do with it."

"Baka," Neji snorted.

Kiba snarled at the Jonin, "What did you say?"

Neji looked at him in contempt and answered him, "The Akatsuki plan on extracting the demon from Naruto and using it as a weapon. Think, how many more will die if that happens?"

"Akamaru," Shino suddenly said quietly, "Do you want to come with us?"

The large white hound looked at his partner, and then back at the Aburame. He nodded and barked once as if to confirm that he wanted to join them.

Kiba looked stunned. "What? Why, Akamaru?"

The insect user interjected, "Don't forget, that once when Akamaru had been poisoned, he was hallucinating, and even attacked Naruto. Despite that, Naruto went against the Hokage's orders to help him. I'm sure that Akamaru hasn't forgotten that."

"So basically what you're saying is, that even though Naruto wanted us to have a choice in the matter," Kiba grumbled, "If I don't help him out, I'm an ungrateful jerk?"

"Don't forget that you'll also be indirectly responsible for the destruction of the Five Great Nations," Kankuro added sarcastically.

"OK, FINE. I'm in," Kiba said. "But when I see Naruto, I'm going to punch him in the gut for not telling us this sooner."

* * *

"Twelve Zodiac animals," Madara muttered to himself, "forming a dodecahedral web. But where does it begin, and where does it end…"

He probed each edge of the seal with his chakra, trying to get a feel of how it interacted with the other edges as well as with the inner seal. The old Uchiha was forced to admit a grudging respect for whoever had designed this secondary seal; it was perfectly balanced. There were no loose edges, no threads that could be unraveled. Unable to find any solution from the outside, Madara moved to hover over Naruto's face.

He pried open one of Naruto's eyes and stared into it with his own Mangekyo Sharingan. "Tsukuyomi."

The Uchiha poured his thoughts into the Leaf ninja's mind. He was slightly amused to see himself standing in the middle of a vast field of flowers. He noticed Naruto standing quite close to him, and the Nine Tails on the other side of the field.

Naruto seemed to be sluggish, looking at the new arrival in confusion. "Wh…who are you?"

This statement caught the Nine Tails' attention. He took one look at the other side of the field, and roared, his crimson eyes flaring in anger.

"**UCHIHA! HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE, YOU BASTARD!**"

"Now, now, Kyuubi. Is this any way to talk to your master?" Madara taunted the Nine Tails in response. The demon roared and charged towards the Sharingan wielder. However, a net of flowers came up as he tried to close the distance between them, and restricted his movements. He sent a wave of chakra onto the other side in anger, but it had no effect on either of the humans. Naruto blinked slowly, too drugged to know what was going on.

"**Why are you here, Madara?**" the Nine Tails asked, still angry, but more in control of himself.

"Why, I'm here to set you free, Kyuubi," Madara replied casually. He looked closely at the net of flowers that was now receding into the field it had sprung out from.

"**BULLSHIT! You want to put me into that godforsaken statue so that you can use my power as you like.**" the Nine Tails scoffed.

"Of course I do," Madara replied with malice in his voice, "Did you forget that you belong to me? This little vacation in the Jinchuuriki's stomach has made you mouthy again, but I'll soon teach you your place."

He turned around and began walking away, fading as he did. As Madara began to disappear, he turned around and his voice echoed through the field, "Look forward to it."

The Uchiha lifted his head up and turned his attention back to Naruto's stomach. The fox's display had inadvertently given him the information he required.

"So, start with the smallest animal, the Rat," he whispered, moving his hands over one of the twelve edges, and probing it with his chakra.

* * *

"So, now that we all are in agreement to help Naruto, how do we find him?" Lee asked Ino. The blonde kunoichi froze, not having given it any thought yet.

"Well, that's a good question. I guess we should start by heading to the Akatsuki base in the Land of Fire. Even if he's not there, we can probably find some clue regarding where he could be."

Shikamaru nodded and said, "I know where the base is."

Before they could begin, however, Shino said, "Forgive me for interrupting, but I may have a better way."

He pulled out a small cage out of his jacket, and they stared at it. Inside the cage was a small grey beetle, with a long elephantine nose, and bright blue eyes. It was looking old, but Sakura had no trouble recognizing it. "That's the Bikochu beetle."

Shino nodded. "We've been breeding her for the past few months," he said, "But these species don't ling longer than four to five years. I thought she might like one chance to fulfil her primary purpose."

Some of the other shinobi looked confused, and Sakura elaborated, "This Bikochu is focused on Naruto's scent. It can track Naruto from anywhere. But will it still be able to work like before, Shino?"

The insect user propped his goggles higher up his nose and said, "I believe so."

"Well, then, let's head back to the waterfall where Naruto was kidnapped," Ino said. Everyone nodded.

* * *

"Enough," Tsunade said, sighing. "We've been over this again and again for the last four hours. It almost seems like you're stalling for something, Onoki."

The old man glared at her, and then said, "I am tired. Perhaps we should retire for the day and continue tomorrow."

Tsunade opened her mouth, but the Mizukage cut in, "Actually, a short break would rather be appreciated."

Gaara said, "I can agree to a fifteen minute break, but any more would be negligent."

"Fine, fifteen minutes it is," Onoki snapped. He floated out of his chair and exited through his door.

"What are you doing, Mei? Why did you agree to the break?" Tsunade said, angrily.

Gaara interjected, "I believe it was so that she could speak to us privately, without Onoki-san's interference."

Mei nodded, and Tsunade said, "Well, what is it you want to say?"

The Mizukage looked at them straight in the eye and asked, "Don't you think Onoki-san is taking this matter a little too lightly?"

Gaara nodded. "I noticed it too. It's as if he isn't bothered by what will happen if the Akatsuki get their hands on the Nine Tails."

"But doesn't he realize what is at stake here?" Tsunade asked them.

Both the Kages shrugged and Mei said, "Unless, he isn't worried about the Nine Tails being extracted."

"What are you thinking, Mei-san?" Gaara asked.

"I can only think of two reasons why Onoki-san wouldn't care if Madara Uchiha got his hands on the Nine Tails again. Either he's got one of the Tailed Beasts himself and knows that there is still time. Or…"

"Or what?" Tsunade said.

"Or, he could be in league with the Akatsuki."

* * *

"What now? Why are we stopping again so soon?" Temari asked, annoyed. "We just took a break three hours ago!"

"The Bikochu is nearly at the end of her life and I believe that it would be best not to tax her too much," Shino said, feeding the beetle some of his chakra.

Ino took a look around. "It's almost nightfall, and we're already at the border of the Land of Fire," she said. "Perhaps it would be best to camp here for now, and continue tomorrow morning. After all, we need to be at our best, and this is no ordinary group of bandits we are facing. The Akatsuki are some of the most powerful shinobi in the world."

Sakura nodded. "Though most of the members have been brought down, who knows whether there are more of them that we don't even know about yet, right?"

Everyone murmured in assent. Neji and Sakura took charge, assigning tasks to everyone. Everyone avoided giving Ino any work, knowing the emotional turmoil she must have gone through. Now that they were stopping for a while, Ino found herself slumping against a tree, finding it harder and harder to keep her emotions in check. Just then, a blanket was draped around her neck and she looked up to see Tenten smiling at her.

"How're you doing, Ino?"

The blonde kunoichi tried her hardest to smile, but just couldn't manage it. "It's hard," she whispered. "Just a few hours ago, Naruto and I were having a relaxing day of fun. Now we're all AWOL, getting ready to attack a terrorist organization, and Naruto's life is in danger."

Then she managed a small watery smile, saying, "The only thing that makes me happy is that everyone is here. Naruto was sure that most of you would turn their backs on him, after keeping such a big secret from you."

Tenten said, "I always knew that there was something different about him. I saw it during his fight against Doraku. But I never would've imagined that it was that terrible demon, contained inside him. I can't even imagine the amount of abuse that Naruto must have undergone throughout his whole life."

Ino nodded sadly. The weapons specialist continued, "But what Shikamaru said was right. Naruto is not only our comrade, but also our friend. He would've never hesitated to save us no matter what secrets we had. And I promise that I'll do the same for him now."

Sakura beckoned her, and she said, "Get some rest, Ino. I'll come wake you up when the dinner is ready." Ino thanked her, and finally closed her eyes, feeling her eyelids becoming heavy.

Choji and Kiba were returning to the makeshift camp, a young deer between them. Choji looked at Kiba carefully, trying to make out the expression on his face, but was unable to detect any feelings.

"You sure about this?" he asked Kiba.

"Are you?" Kiba countered. "You didn't seem too happy either, when you found out that Naruto is a…well, about Naruto."

Choji scratched his neck. "I was quite surprised, to be honest," he admitted. "But after what happened during the Sound invasion, with Yori and the Shadow Roc, I can understand how hard a Jinchuuriki suffers. And I have no doubt that Naruto and the Demon Fox are two separate beings. Besides, Shikamaru trusts Naruto, and that's all I need."

"Hmm," was the only response he got, since Kiba didn't have anything to say in favor of Naruto.

As they neared the camp, a shadow approached them. Kankuro's voice preceded him, "Choji, can you take that deer alone? I want to have a few words with Kiba."

"Sure thing," Choji said, lifting the carcass onto his shoulder. He lumbered back towards the camp by himself, a hulking figure in the dim light of the nearby camp fire.

"What do you want? You got a problem?" Kiba said rather loudly, not sure he wanted to be alone with a Sand Village Jonin.

"Yeah, I do, actually," Kankuro replied directly. The Inuzuka tensed, anticipating a fight.

"But for Naruto's sake, I'm not going to make a big deal out of it," the Sand ninja continued. "If you really aren't sure whether you want to help us, turn around and start walking. You'll only be a hindrance if your mind is split two ways."

"And no one will think less of me, I suppose?" Kiba said sarcastically.

"Oh no, everyone will know exactly the type of guy you are, "Kankuro grinned wickedly. "I suppose even Ino wouldn't be able to overlook it."

He began to walk towards the camp, when a question stopped him.

"Why are you even here? You're not even from our village." Kiba asked.

"Yeah, but I owe him big time. Both Temari and me." Kankuro admitted. "I don't know whether you know anything about it, but Naruto saved both, Gaara's life and his sanity. If it weren't for him, Gaara would still be the murderer that he once was, instead of a respected Kazekage. And Temari and I would probably be dead, by Gaara's hands."

"So make up your mind, Kiba," the Jonin said as he resumed walking away. "If you're not fully committed, you'll simply drag us down."

He walked off, leaving the Chunin alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Madara stepped back from the comatose form of Naruto with a sigh. His eyes went back to black, from the Mangekyo Sharingan. He took a deep breath and stretched; unraveling one of the strongest seals in the world takes a toll on you. He resumed his Tobi persona, and unlocked the door, slumping his shoulders on purpose; after all, that is the kind of thing Tobi would do. As he exited, he took a look at Naruto's stomach, where the Eight Trigrams seal was still gleaming dully.

"All done," he told the scientist, who was sitting in a chair outside. She got up immediately, and said, "We'll get ready for the removal." She began ushering her assistants back into the room.

As Tobi yawned widely, heading to his room for a short nap, he found himself confronted by one of his newest members, Mayuko. The rogue ninja from the Land of Snow bowed slightly, and began to deliver her report.

"Lord Tobi," she began, but he raised his hand to interrupt her.

"Mayuko, I'm really tired right now, so can you make this quick," he yawned. "And for the umpteenth time, don't call me 'lord', 'boss' or 'master' for that matter. I'm no lord."

"Ok, Tobi," Mayuko said hesitantly, "I'll make it quick. Our spies in the Land of Fire report a small group of the Jinchuuriki's friends have gone missing from the Hidden Leaf Village."

"What? That's it? No specialized tracking unit? I'm disappointed." Tobi pouted. Then he grew slightly serious and said, "Send out an interception unit to delay them, we need as much time as we can get."

Mayuko nodded and darted away. Tobi yawned again and resumed his exaggerated hobble back to his quarters.

* * *

The Fire, Wind and Water shadows had all returned to their seats by the time the Earth shadow returned. Onoki flew back into his seat. The rest of the Kages quickly drew him back into the debate, but this time they structured their arguments as to determine Onoki's reasoning. But they knew that the old geezer had been playing such politics long before they ascended to the rank of Kage themselves, so they had set a time limit of two hours.

However, the geezer lived up to their expectations, and as they approached midnight, no one was any closer to an answer.

"I grow weary of this," Mei said. "The issues surrounding Lady Tsunade's proposal have been discussed to far too long now. I do not think there is anything that can be said now to change any of our minds."

She focused her attention towards the Hokage and said, "As you know, I hardly have any manpower that could outmatch yours at the moment. However, apart from that, I am willing to share all of our current intelligence we have on the Akatsuki, and to sanction this rescue mission so your shinobi may enter my country or any of the lesser nations allied with us. Should we put it to a vote?"

"One addendum, if you would," Gaara said. "I would like it stipulated that any hidden village that wished to officially assist the Leaf in this rescue be allowed to do so. It is my understanding that Naruto has made some friends outside the Great Nations, and it would be a shame to start an international incident because they decided to help in this without authority."

Both Tsunade and Mei nodded, while Onoki rolled his eyes.

"Let's put it to the vote, then," Gaara continued, raising his hand. The Hokage quickly followed suit, and Mei raised her hand as well, indicating her agreement. The three of them turned to look at the Tsuchikage.

"Fine," he exhaled, raising his hand as well. He reached into his robes and pulled out a scroll, throwing it viciously at Tsunade. She caught the scroll and set it onto the table.

"That is everything my intelligence units have gathered on the Akatsuki, for all the good it will do for you. I'll expect your data in return by the end of the day," he grumbled. "Now, since you don't need me anymore, I'll be heading to bed."

He exited the portal leading to his office, slamming the door behind him.

Mei stood up as well. "I'm guessing you won't need me any more either," she said. "But I wish you luck, for what it is worth."

"Thank you, Mei," Tsunade told her counterpart warmly. Mei just smiled in response and headed back to her door. Before she left, however, she turned around and gave Gaara a flying kiss. "Good night, cutie."

Gaara turned bright red, and even Tsunade could barely contain her mirth. Mei winked at him as she withdrew, and her portal vanished behind her.

* * *

It was early morning when Sakura convinced Ino to submit to a GenJutsu so that she could have a few hours of sleep. Naruto's girlfriend had taken a brief nap before dinner, but as the others settled down, she had found herself wide awake. She had been busy trying to figure out how much time they had left, as well as trying to rid herself of the guilt she felt, ruining her friends' lives and careers, even if it was for Naruto. She was thankful to Sakura's illusions for getting her some rest.

However, Ino's rest was not even close to peaceful, as she dreamt of shadowy figures in black and red cloaks, and weird Tailed Beasts. It was a relief to her when Shikamaru removed the GenJutsu from her. But the end of the nightmare only signified one thing; it was the second day of Naruto's capture.

The group of shinobi were already on the move when the sun came up. They had avoided breakfast, knowing that they would have to stop a little while later, taking a stop for the aging Bikochu. But before they stopped, the ninjas crossed into the Land of Forests, which along with the Land of Silver, occupied the space between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.

There were three Akatsuki hideouts that they had intel about around that area, one in the Land of Forests, and the other two in the Land of Lightning. None of the shinobi were worried about the Land of Forests; the country was sparsely populated, and didn't have a Hidden Village ever since the Nine Tails demolished the Village Hidden in the Lakes seventeen years ago.

However, the Land of Lightning was a completely different story. Being one of the Great Nations, it could start an international war, trying to get into the country without permission. Aside from that, there were only two ways to get into the country, either through the sea, or through the Land of Silver.

As the name implied, this small country was known for its mineral resources. The country was guarded by the Village Hidden in the Mines, a small shinobi village known for never having lost a battle. Being discovered by them could slow down or potentially end their mission. But crossing the sea between the Land of Forests and the Land of Lightning could amount to the same.

However, all difficulties were wiped from the minds of the Leaf ninjas, as a cloud of shurikens crossed their path, followed closely by little over a dozen warriors, clad in full stealth gear.

* * *

Tsunade emerged from the portal and it vanished behind her. As she dropped heavily into her chair, Shizune rushed forward. "Lady Tsunade," she began, but the Hokage cut her off. She set three scrolls on the table in front of her and said, "We got their approval, as well as their intel. Also, Gaara is sending a five man strike team from his village to assist us."

Shizune didn't speak, and Tsunade finally looked up, and saw the anxiety in her face. "What is it?" she said grumpily.

"They're gone," Shizune told her, "Naruto's friends."

"All of them?"

"Not Konohamaru's group. All the rest of the Konoha 12 are gone. Also, I heard that Temari and Kankuro were last spotted with Sakura," Shizune confirmed. "Also, Shibi Aburame reported that the Bikochu beetle keyed to Naruto's scent went missing yesterday."

"Hmm," Tsunade grunted in appreciation, "That's actually not a bad idea."

"You're not angry?" Shizune asked, mildly shocked at Tsunade's casual behavior.

"I actually expected Ino or Sakura to do something like this," the Hokage answered. "If I didn't want them gone, don't you think I would've ordered the ANBU to watch them?"

"Anyway, get Kakashi, Itachi, Kisame and Nagato in here. And Iruka for good measure. We'll send them out to intercept the kids, and meet the Sand village team."

Tsunade picked up one of the scrolls and said, "This is from the Hidden Rocks Village. Check it carefully, I wouldn't put it past Onoki to have some sort of trap in there." Shizune nodded and hurried out.

* * *

Lee was annoyed. As he disassembled his quarterstaff into their individual weights and put them back where they belonged, he said, "I thought that the Akatsuki were more powerful than this. But fighting them now makes me wonder if their power is exaggerated."

"Not at all," Shikamaru said. They all turned to look at him. He scratched his head, "I don't know who these guys are, but when I faced Hidan, he was easily as strong as a four man squad by himself."

Temari rose up from the corpse of one of the ninjas and said, "This could be one of their interception units. According to the files we have on the Akatsuki, the organization has too many bandits and renegades to train properly. So they are instead given specialized training. For instance, an interception unit is a sixteen man squad designed to use speed and stealth to delay their enemy."

"Well, they clearly weren't trained enough," Choji said.

Temari shook her head. "Traditionally, these units are meant to go up against a four man squad. We completely outmatched them because we were so many."

Shino recalled the Bikochu; it had continued flying towards Naruto's scent, blissfully unaware of the battle.

"We really should have left one alive to interrogate," Ino said, her old interrogator skills returning for a while.

"If I'm not wrong, there will be another unit on standby, waiting to attack if they don't receive any acknowledgement from this group," Kankuro said, "So I'm pretty sure we'll be able to capture one the next time."

"Come on, we need to go," Shikamaru said. "As soon as this group is found out, they'll have our location."

As the Bikochu returned, the other shinobi nodded, and they set out to rescue their companion.

* * *

"Lady Tsunade, if I may have a moment."

The Hokage had just informed the five ninjas she had called about the situation. She told them to go to the technicians and see if they could pinpoint the location of the kids using their cell phones. As the others turned to leave, the leader of the Root moved towards the Hokage's table.

"What is it, Itachi?" Tsunade asked, as Iruka closed the door behind him. The Uchiha met her gaze with determination.

"If you don't mind, I would like you to remove me from this mission," Itachi said directly.

"What? Why?" Tsunade asked, curious, but also close to losing her temper.

"I'm worried about Kiyoko. I don't think I should be leaving her like this."

Tsunade almost laughed. "Itachi, I'm glad that you're being protective of your daughter. But don't you think this takes it a little too far?"

"It's not just that, Milady," Itachi said. "I know for a fact that the Akatsuki works in two-man teams. Before I defected, Deidara was partnered with Tobi, who was a mystery. You saw the ease with which Deidara and Zetsu captured Naruto. What if Tobi is hanging around somewhere, unnoticed, waiting for us to deplete our forces so that he can take Kiyoko? After all, she is the youngest descendant of the Uchiha, and if Madara has found about my family, he will stop at nothing in order to take her from me."

Tsunade considered that; it wasn't an unreasonable argument. It was indeed something the Sannin would have tried back in the day.

"I'll tell you what, Itachi," Tsunade grinned slightly, "I'll have Jiraiya look over Kiyoko and Katsumi while you're gone. And I'll have Shizune go there as well. So don't worry."

Itachi smiled, "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

"Now go," she ordered. Unable to keep the worry out of her voice, she said, "Get Naruto back before anything happens to him."

* * *

Naruto groaned as his head spun around. He started gaining consciousness slowly, and sat up in the field of flowers. Suddenly he became aware of his surroundings, and looked up at the fox, standing on the other side of the field.

"What the…what's going on?"

"**Ah, the poison wore off, it seems. Now it's just the sedation that is keeping you down**," the fox noted.

"There was someone here earlier, wasn't there?" Naruto noted, vaguely remembering the shadowy figure from before.

"**Yes, Madara Uchiha was here**," Kyuubi agreed.

Naruto stood up in a hurry. "What? Why?" he shouted.

"**Easy now**," the fox cautioned. "**Madara has removed the Zodiac Seal. So if we upset the chakra balance here, we'll be back in that stinking sewer of the Eight Trigrams Seal? Do you want that**?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "Wait a minute. What did you say? The Zodiac Seal? When was another seal put on me?"

The Nine Tails almost laughed. "**Don't you remember? Good God, you're as dumb as they come**."

Naruto strained his memory…

"_Bring him in, quickly," Tsunade ordered. Iruka rushed into the hospital room with Naruto on his back, and put him down on the bed carefully. _

"_Alright, everyone out! Sakura, stay back." _

_The rest of the group trooped outside, waiting for news. _

"_Shizune, check his essentials." Tsunade said. She turned to Sakura, "What happened?"_

"_He used a few jutsus that completely drained him. I remember one of them being called the Blood Type Reflect or something."_

_Tsunade was aghast. When did the boy learn that forbidden technique?!_

"_Explain everything, Sakura."_

_Over half an hour, Sakura quickly told the Hokage everything that had transpired during their mission to retrieve Neji, about how they had all been kidnapped by the demon Doraku, and how Naruto had fought tooth and nail against it. As she got to the part where Ino had been nearly killed, she faltered a bit. _

"_Come on, Sakura, I thought I raised you to be a better shinobi than this," Tsunade said. _

"_Sorry, Milady, the scene was quite…graphic," the pinkette said, and continued, explaining how the boy had changed his own blood type, provided her chakra, as well as kept the Life Sustain Jutsu active, in order to regenerate almost the entirety of Ino's stomach. _

_Tsunade couldn't believe it. "How is this kid able to pull off such miracles?!" Just then, Shizune said, "He's looking fine, Lady Tsunade. Just a case of extreme exhaustion, coupled with his body rejecting the new blood type. He should be okay once he has a little of his own blood type transfused into him."_

"_Lucky for us he's been making regular donations to the blood bank for the last three months. We can use his own blood," Tsunade said. She turned to Sakura and said, "Well, I can't say much more until I take a look at Ino, but good job, nevertheless. Wait outside, and call Ino in, please."_

_Sakura, bowed slightly and exited the room. A few seconds later, Ino came in, and said, "Milady, you wished to see me?"_

_Tsunade nodded. She moved towards the kunoichi, noting the holes in the stomach of her uniform. _

"_Can you take off the upper half of your uniform, please, Ino?"_

_The younger kunoichi blushed slightly, and said, "Umm, Naruto is in the room."_

_Shizune smiled, "Naruto is still sleeping. And I must say, Ino, you didn't strike me as the shy type."_

_Ino said, "It's nothing like that, Shizune-san." She took off her top half of the uniform, showcasing the armored brassiere underneath. Tsunade leaned forward and inspected her stomach. She felt around the area where Ino had been skewered, with a green aura surrounding her hands. Once satisfied, she said, "That will do."_

_Ino put on her uniform again, and Tsunade said, "That is unbelievable. If it weren't for the holes in your uniform, I would never imagine that you had been skewered by an A-Rank Lightning NinJutsu."_

_Ino smiled at Naruto and said, "He truly outdid himself this time."_

"_And I'm going to order you people to let him die if he does it again," Tsunade ordered strictly. Ino stared at her and the Hokage elaborated, "Naruto nearly died trying to save you this time, I won't allow it to happen again. Understood?"_

_Ino nodded. She walked over to the gently snoring Naruto and kissed him on the cheek, before exiting the room._

"_Now that that's dealt with, let's move to my next concern. Shizune, can you please get Kakashi in here?"_

_The Hokage's assistant nodded, and walked off. Tsunade allowed herself a few emotional moments, as she sat next to Naruto, caressing his head. "You idiot. You just can't stay out of trouble, can you? Well, I guess the joke's on me, since I was the one who sent you to train with Jiraiya, of all people."_

_Suddenly, Naruto's eyes fluttered open, and he mumbled, "Pervy Sage…teach me another jutsu." Then he was back asleep._

_The Hokage smiled. She walked outside the room and said, "Don't worry, guys, he's going to be fine. You can go now, I want him to rest a while. I'll allow visitors in tomorrow. He should be up by then."_

_Everyone nodded and began walking away. Ino waited, however, and so did Sakura. Tsunade said, "I know how you two must be feeling, but you need your rest as well. Ino, you've just recovered from a near-death experience, and Sakura, you must be low on energy after doing what you did. Go home, and rest. Come back tomorrow. This is an order."_

"_Hai." Both the girls saluted and walked off, talking in whispers._

_Tsunade didn't have to wait long before Kakashi appeared in the corridor. He walked up to her as fast he could without looking worried, and said, "Naruto?"_

_The woman led him inside, and began to explain everything that had transpired, just as Sakura had told her._

"_I see," Kakashi said. "So, the fox is capable of passing simply chakra, without its influence. But it seems that it needs to be on the same page as Naruto for that to happen."_

_Tsunade looked at the boy. "I doubt that Naruto will be able to control the Kyuubi at such a young age. I mean, I know it is Naruto we are talking about, but there are some things that even he cannot do easily."_

_Kakashi nodded. "So, judging by the way this conversation is going, I don't think that is the only reason you called me in, is it?"_

_Tsunade snorted, "You wish it was. Now that we have a sleeping Naruto here, this is the perfect opportunity to use the Divine Zodiac Seal on him and strengthen the cage holding the Nine Tails in."_

_Kakashi nodded slowly, "Yeah, that's a good idea. But why now? We can do it any time."_

_Tsunade looked at him seriously. "He already knows about the Eight Trigrams Seal and how it works. I don't want him to learn about the Zodiac Seal until the time is right."_

"_Would it make that much of a difference?" Kakashi responded._

"_Have you seen the marks on Jiraiya's chest where Naruto attacked him in the Four Tails state?" Tsunade asked. "If simply loosening the seal slightly could cause that much havoc, imagine what would happen if the seal was removed. Naruto has the key to the Eight Trigrams Seal, and I won't allow him to remove the seal, no matter what. At least until I'm not sure that the Nine Tails is completely under his control."_

"_Alright, you've given this a bit of thought, it seems," Kakashi said. "But aren't you forgetting something?"_

"_What?"_

"_We need someone who can perform the sealing."_

_Tsunade looked at him in surprise. "You don't know how to do it?" she asked in surprise._

_Kakashi tried his best to look modest, and said, "Milady, I never particularly excelled at FuinJutsu. I know a handful of sealing techniques, but the Divine Zodiac Seal is the third strongest seal in the world for a reason. It requires vast amounts of chakra as well as perfect attention while being created, or else it can prove to be catastrophic." _

"_Wow, I didn't expect this situation. What now?"_

"_If I may, Milady," Shizune said quietly. Tsunade jumped with a start; she hadn't noticed her apprentice enter the room. _

"_There is one lady in the village who is able to perform every sealing jutsu that has ever been invented." the younger medic said._

_Tsunade looked confused for a minute. Then it clicked. "The curse-breaker?"_

_Shizune nodded._

_Tsunade turned to Kakashi and said, "Can you do something for me? Go to the Hyuga Manor and call for Hiroko Hyuga."_

_Kakashi bowed slightly and shunshined out of the room. Tsunade turned towards Shizune and said, "Do you believe she will know how to perform this seal?"_

_Shizune smiled and replied confidently, "If she can't do it, no one else can."_

"So, when I was unconscious after the fight with that demon, Doraki or Dokaru, whatever it was, that's when the seal was placed on me?" Naruto asked the fox.

"**Doraku**," the fox growled, "**And yes, that's when the secondary seal was placed on you. However, the Divine Zodiac Seal is much stronger than the Eight Trigrams Seal, and only shows itself when needed urgently**."

"I see," Naruto said. "Well, what's going on now?"

"**The Zodiac Seal has been unraveled by Madara. Now the Akatsuki are getting ready to drill through the Eight Trigrams Seal**," the Nine Tails explained.

Naruto stared at the fox, and said, "How can you sit so calmly? Isn't there anything we can do to stop this?"

"**Stop it**? **Why on earth would I want to stop the only process that might set me free**? **As of now, I'm just going to sit tight and wait for the Akatsuki to make a mistake**," the demon grinned, showing his canines.

Naruto glared at the fox in anger, but there was nothing else he could do.

* * *

**PS: Thanks for 400 followers. It means a lot to me! :)**


	56. Chapter 56: The Rescue Mission

**Author's Note: What's up guys, CannonBaller is back with another chapter for you guys today! Guess you didn't see that one coming, did you?! Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and as always, please feel free to leave a review after you're done. Happy Reading!**

**Chapter 56: The Rescue Mission**

As the Bikochu began crossing the ocean, Shino whistled out to call it back.

"What do we do now?" Kiba said dully. "We can't cross an entire ocean on water, we'd be out of chakra by the time we get one-fourth of the way across."

Ino turned to Shino. "Can you make the Bikochu travel along the coastline by any chance?"

"There will be no need for that," Tenten said, with a smile on her face. "I've been wanting to do this for a long time now. Neji, lend me some chakra, will you?"

He placed his hand on her shoulder, lending her his own power. As it began to overflow, Tenten's pupils dilated, and she signed quickly, "Ninja Arts: Summoning Jutsu!"

A gigantic seal spread out from her hand and a huge smoke of cloud went up. As the smoke cleared, a gigantic tortoise appeared, occupying a large part of the beach. It was not as big as the summons of the Sannin, but probably weighed as much as all of them combined, due to its large ornamental shell. It waved one of its legs towards Tenten and smiled, "Hi there, Tenten-chan! What can I do for you today?"

"Not so fine, actually," Tenten replied. "We are in search for one of our comrades who has been kidnapped. We need to make our way across this ocean. Can you help us out?"

"Of course, Tenten-chan," the tortoise smiled. "It will be my pleasure to assist you." The tortoise turned around until it faced the ocean and began to walk towards the surf, quite a bit faster than the average speed of a tortoise. As its mouth started getting covered by water, the tortoise said, "Climb onto my shell."

The rescue party from the Leaf got on the back of the tortoise, finding ridges in the shell to hold on to. The tortoise said, "Which way do I go?"

Shino released the Bikochu and Tenten said, "Follow that beetle, please."

"Yes, Tenten-chan." The tortoise darted forward into the open water, leaving behind the Land of Forests.

* * *

As Tobi was returning from his room after a small nap, he found his way blocked by two women. One of them was the scientist working on Naruto's seal. Tobi made a mental note to learn her name. She was glaring at another person who was standing on the other side of his room door. The man in the mask turned his head towards the right to see Mayuko standing at attention. Both women stared at him, urgency showing on their faces.

"Is something the matter?" he asked casually.

"I needed to speak to you urgently, but Mayuko wouldn't let me talk to you," the scientist pouted.

"Well, I was asleep, wasn't I? I probably wouldn't have heard what you had to say," Tobi said innocently.

"C'mon, stop kidding around, Tobi," the researcher said. Then she hurried on to the status report she had, and continued worriedly, "There is a problem with the Five Elements Drill."

Madara's eyes narrowed. "What problem?" he said, his voice dangerous.

"Well, when you removed the Divine Zodiac Seal, it seems to have damaged the Eight Trigrams Seal," the researcher explained. "There are two scenarios; we can either play it safe and go slower, or take the risk, and keep going."

Madara let Tobi's persona take control again, and frowned, "I don't understand. Why do we need to go slower or faster?"

"There is a point in the extraction where there is a ninety percent chance of the demon escaping. However, if we slow down the drilling process, that point can be averted. In that case, there will be a ninety-seven percent chance of success," the scientist said.

"In this case, how long will the extraction take?" Tobi queried thoughtfully.

"Instead of the projected three days, we will need five days to safely drill through the seal."

"My God, really? Five days is too much, can't you lower it somehow?" Tobi complained.

"Well, like I said, we can go faster and take the risk," the researcher continued, "But that would mean that the point where the risk increases would not be avoided. Even if we slow the still around that point only, the chances of the fox escaping would be over seventy-five percent."

"That is a problem," Tobi said. The researcher turned back to glare at Mayuko, before saying, "That is why I wanted to talk to you so urgently, you know."

The man in the orange mask scratched his head and said, "For now, go with the normal extraction. I'll tell you if I want you to slow it down."

The researcher nodded and headed towards the lab. Tobi turned towards Mayuko and said, "I suppose you have a report for me as well."

The Snow renegade nodded, "We just got a report from the standby interception unit. The first unit has been completely wiped out. It happened extremely quickly too, by the looks of it, suggesting that the enemy is either very strong, or has a substantial amount of ninjas."

She paused, waiting for her leader's reaction.

"I see," Tobi said, thinking about it, "There are Leaf ninjas who can take out an entire interception unit by themselves. Seeing as they are Naruto's friends, I can imagine that Neji Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha are in the team."

He looked at her and continued, "We need to understand the level of threat that we are facing. Inform the other units that their priority is to find out who the members of the team are. They will not attack the enemy until I receive the descriptions of every member that is currently trying to rescue Uzumaki."

Mayuko nodded, and Tobi asked, "Is there anything else?"

"No, Tobi."

"Then why are you still standing here?" Tobi said, his voice lowered, but Mayuko could sense tension rising within it. She quickly bowed and disappeared, leaving the man alone. He wondered whether the interception units would be up to the task.

* * *

After what seemed like a millennium on the water, the giant tortoise finally dropped the ninjas off onto an empty shoreline in the Land of Lightning. Tenten thanked it profusely, before allowing the jutsu to end and sending it home. Shino caught the beetle and allowed a little of his chakra to flow into it, replenishing its energy.

Hinata noticed the slight frown on her teammate's face and asked, "Is something w...wrong, Shino? T...the Bikochu is holding up, right?"

"Not very well," the insect user replied sadly, "First of all, she's nearing the end of her life. On top of that, Bikochus aren't meant to fly so far."

Kiba looked at the beetle carefully and then asked cautiously, "Are you sure we are being led in the right direction?" Ino glared at him, and he continued quickly, "What I mean is, why on earth would Zetsu travel under the ocean, instead of going straight through the land? It makes no sense to me. Perhaps he's leading us on a wild goose chase."

The question struck the Leaf ninjas dumb, but Kankuro was the one who answered, "Zetsu wanted to avoid the Land of Silver. As you know, the Land of Silver is abundant in mineral resources. Due to that, the Village Hidden in the Mines fiercely protect it using various jutsus to track underground movement. If Zetsu had passed through the land, he would have been captured instantly."

Temari continued, "Also, the leader of the Mines village has a grudge on the Akatsuki because they once assaulted the village in order to steal some resources, and ended up killing his son. If he found an Akatsuki member in his country, he would relay the information to the Hokage at once."

Ino was thankful for having ninjas from the other country with her; their knowledge of the continents was far greater than any of the Leaf Ninjas present there. She looked at Temari and asked, "Do the Sand village have any information about the Akatsuki bases in the Land of Lightning?"

Temari shook her head apologetically. "Unfortunately, the Leaf and Sand villages were never on good terms with the Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village, even when he was alive. Therefore, we don't have much information, except what was gathered up by our scouts and spies in the country. All we know are that there are two bases in the country, one rather close to the village, while the other one is further north, towards the eastern coast of the country. I think that the one in the north is called the Raiton Canyon, while the one closer to the village is known as the Observatory."

Sakura looked anxiously at Shino. "Is the Bikochu ready to travel?" she asked nervously.

The insect user looked impassively at the rest of the group. "I would rather let her rest for a bit," he said softly. The others understood the sadness in his voice; the Aburame had more feelings towards the insects than towards other users. He continued, "However, I do understand that time is of the essence."

Shikamaru said, "There is no need to worry, there is still time. We will take a half hour hiatus here, and then go on. After all, there is no hope without the Bikochu."

The other shinobi nodded their approval to this plan. Choji brought out a bag of chips from wherever he stored them, and bit into one of the chips worriedly. Sasame began to check her equipment, and Tenten paced around. Lee sat down facing the Bikochu, staring at it as though trying to provide his strength to it. The others walked around, resting or eating.

After a few minutes, Neji walked towards the forest line, wondering if there was a river nearby to wash his face. He activated his Byakugan to help him. He suddenly raced into the forest, and the others wondered what had happened. They soon found out, though, as a loud howl of pain reached their ears. The rescue squad instantly raced into the forest, following Neji, just in time to see him stop another man's heart with a well-placed Gentle Fist attack. Lee barreled into a third stealth clad shinobi who was advancing on Neji with a sword. Sasame trapped up a fourth ninja with her threads.

Tenten buried four shuriken into another man's chest, and Shikamaru paralyzed another one with his Shadow Possession Jutsu. The rest of them began to run away and Ino shouted, "After them!"

Hinata activated her Byakugan as well, and said, "They're all splitting up, two to the north, two to the west, and one each to the south and east."

Neji barked, "Lee, go after the no…"

Shikamaru interrupted the Jonin's orders. "Wait, hold up. This is probably what they want. If we break up into groups to follow them, we risk losing time, as well as falling into an ambush if they have one in mind."

Temari nodded, "Shika is…ahem, Shikamaru is right. We cannot afford to split up right now. Besides, he has captured a prisoner for us to interrogate now."

As the rescue squad crowded around the captured shinobi, Tenten caught a look of thoughtfulness on Neji's face.

"What's the matter, Neji?" she asked.

He turned to look at her, and said, "When I noticed them with my Byakugan, they were simply observing us. Why wouldn't they attack us like the first group?"

Lee cracked his knuckles loudly, breaking their thought process.

* * *

Madara walked into the conference room, and looked at Deidara in amusement. "I thought you would be long gone."

The blonde ninja humphed and replied, "I didn't have anything else to do, so I hung around for a while. Hn."

"Well, in that case, why don't you help me fight the Konoha brats when they arrive here?"

"Sounds good to me. I'll show them that my art is an explosion! Hn."

"On another note, have you found any information regarding Itachi and Kisame? I would rather like to get my hands on the Six Tails as soon as I can," Madara said.

Deidara shrugged, "Don't have a clue. Last time I checked, Itachi was the most skilled spy we had, so don't expect him to leave a trail you can follow. Hn."

Madara's eyebrow ticked up in annoyance at Deidara's lack of interest, but decided to let it go; after all, the man was no longer a member of the Akatsuki. Suddenly, Mayuko burst into the room.

"Lord Tobi, Deidara-san," she said excitedly, forgetting to leave out the honorifics off Tobi's name, "We have a report from the standby interception unit from this base. They lost six men during the fight, but the rest were able to escape, and sent a description of the rescue squad from the Leaf. Based on what they have sent, we know who most of the attackers are."

"Most?" Tobi frowned.

"Yes, I know, I'll tell you about it in a second," Mayuko told the two of them. "The unit saw fourteen individuals, and a ninja dog. Now, assuming that they made no mistakes in describing the ninjas, we are facing Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka and his dog Akamaru, Hinata Hyuga, Neji Hyuga, Tenten, Rock Lee, Temari and Kankuro of the Sand."

"Unless my counting is really bad, that's only thirteen," Tobi said.

"Well, there is one more who wasn't identified," the girl admitted, "She was described as a slender young woman, about the same height as Hinata, with orange hair. She had a pale pink short style shozoku and bicycle shorts."

"Was she wearing a Leaf headband?" Tobi demanded.

"Hmm, that doesn't seem to be on the report," Mayuko told him.

"I see. It could be one of his friends from outside the Great Nations, Uzumaki is quite popular," the masked man said, more to himself than to the others.

Mayuko stood still, and Tobi realized that she still had something to report. "Go ahead, what else do you have for me?"

Mayuko looked into her report and said, "According to our spies around the Leaf and Sand villages, there are five-man squads leaving from both the villages at the same time. Normally, this could be chalked up to a coincidence, but the teams seemed to be headed this way. Although the teams aren't clear at this point, the Sand team seems to be led by none other than the Kazekage."

"Of course. The Kazekage is returning the favor that Uzumaki had once done him," Tobi said, "So, ten more ninjas will be joining these kids. And based on the relation between Naruto and the Hokage, I have no doubt that the Leaf ninjas will be some of the strongest they have to offer. They'll probably have sent Kakashi Hatake in the rescue team."

Mayuko nodded. "This could be problematic, now that we are at a fraction of our strength."

"Mayuko, send word out to the Observatory and the Hidden Forest. I want them to send any reinforcements available at once," the masked man said, "Strip those bases down to minimum requirements, leaving only a skeletal crew. Also, I want all available interception units to do what they are meant to do; intercept. Position them between the Raiton Canyon and the group of Uzumaki's friends. I want them to hold off the first rescue team for as long as possible."

Mayuko nodded and rushed off.

Deidara put his legs onto the table in front of him. "You're taking this far too seriously, don't you think? They may be close, but they're just kids. They're still at least six hours out, longer if the interception units do their jobs well enough. The real threats are the backup teams we just heard about. But they'll be at least another day away from here. Hn."

Tobi turned towards the blonde artist. "You don't understand, do you? Rank does not equate to strength. One of those so called kids, figured out how to incapacitate Hidan. Besides, all of them are Uzumaki's friends. They'll fight tooth and nail to get him back."

He turned to leave, and said, "I have an idea to hold them off for longer. But I would be grateful if you started preparing yourself for a rematch against the Kazekage."

Deidara smiled, "My pleasure."

* * *

"What did he say?" Sakura asked Ino anxiously as she returned back to her body.

The girl got up and dusted her uniform off, saying, "He was just a flunky. Said he had been sent from the Raiton Canyon to intercept us and slow us down. But he couldn't confirm whether Naruto was there or not. He did inform me that his home base was on high alert."

"What do you mean 'was just a flunky'? Did you kill him?" Sasame asked nervously.

"As if," Ino answered, "I erased his memories of being a shinobi and placed his mind under a GenJutsu. Unless someone happens to release him from his illusion, he'll spend the rest of his life believing that he's a traveller searching for inspiration to write a book."

Shino released the beetle again and the team once more took off after the bug.

The next attack hit the team two hours after they had begun their run towards Raiton Canyon. After that, they were frequently attacked by the interception units. Though they proved to be no match for Naruto's friends, they served their purpose in slowing down and tiring the rescue squad. It was nearly nightfall when the tired teenagers reached the mountain range within which the Raiton Canyon base was said to be hidden.

Now that they were near, there was a bit of civil war within the group as to whether they should continue or break off until the next day. Kiba and Choji wanted to wait, while Ino and Sakura wanted to continue. The rest of them had mixed feelings. They appeared to be at a stalemate until Shikamaru stepped in. He pointed out that the longer they waited in the forests, the more chances they gave the Akatsuki to prepare themselves. Also, they could hide against the interception units better once they scaled the mountains, due to the presence of natural caves.

Knowing that Shikamaru would not force them to continue unless it was completely necessary, the others who were content to wait relented. The ninjas continued for an hour, well after the sun had gone down.

Another problem awaited them as they entered the canyon inside the valley between the mountains. There was a split in the chasm, with three paths leading towards their destination, each still leading towards the general direction of the Akatsuki base.

"Now what?" Tenten asked, wording her question carefully, not wanting to start another debate.

Shikamaru scratched his head, "We need to scout ahead. Anyone who can make some Shadow Clones?"

Ino and Sakura nodded, but Shino said, "There won't be any need for that. I shall send out a few of my insects to determine which of these paths is correct."

The others settled down by the walls of the chasm, except for Ino, who paced around, waiting for the insects to return. Sakura watched the girl for a few minutes, before grabbing her and pulling the blonde down to sit next to her.

"You need to relax, Ino," she said. "If you want to rescue Naruto, you need to be at your best."

"But we're so close," Ino said.

"That's why you need the rest," the pinkette explained. "Or do you want to be put under a GenJutsu again?"

Ino shook her head.

Sakura turned to Sasuke who was sitting on her other side. He had been quiet the entire time, not even speaking during their little debate. He seemed to be thinking about something from a long time, absently following the rest of them whenever they ran, and stopping when they stopped, before sitting a little away from everyone else.

"Hey, Sasuke?" Sakura said.

The boy seemed to snap out of a reverie, and replied, "Yes?"

"Nothing, I just wondered what's up with you. I mean, you haven't spoken since we began this rescue."

"Hmm. I guess that is true. I've been wondering what exactly Naruto must be going through right now."

"I see," the pinkette said. Sasuke looked up at the sky and smiled, "You know, it's kind of ironic if you think about it. He worked so hard to get me back to the village so that I wouldn't be a rogue-nin any more. And now I'm back to the same status, because of him."

Sakura couldn't help but smile at that, and said, "I doubt that we will be considered rogue-nins for helping out a comrade in need. Lady Tsunade may be strict, but she isn't inhumane."

Ino spoke up, "Don't you think that if the Hokage would've taken every step to stop us if she hadn't wanted us to go on this rescue mission? She let us go without even putting any ANBU on our tail. She knew how important this would be for all of us."

As she spoke, Shino walked back to the group, and announced, "My insects have returned."

The others gathered around him, waiting for him to assimilate the information his insects had gathered.

Shino finally lifted his head up and Ino asked him, "Which path is it?"

"Honestly? All of them."

Everyone face palmed. The insect user continued, "Each path continues for around ten miles, beyond which it is blocked by a wall and a heavy gate. After passing through those walls, the paths widen and then merge after about five more miles. Not far from there is a giant fortress built into the base of a cliff. I presume that the Raiton Canyon is that fortress."

The others turned to Ino, and Temari asked the blonde, "Well? Should we go or not? And if so, should we take the same route, or split up?"

Ino thought about it for a bit. "We'll break off for about five hours," she said. "Split into groups of three to keep watch, so that everyone can get a few hours of sleep. That will make it around 2AM by the time we leave. We'll hit them when they'll least expect it."

* * *

"Alright, Gaara's team is going to meet us when we enter the Land of Forests, so we will take a stop there," Kakashi said, "The Sand Ninjas are moving much faster than us because they are using Gaara's sand clouds, so they'll be able to reach the rendezvous at nearly the same time as us."

"Do we still have a trace on any of the cellulars?" Iruka asked.

"Yes," the Copy Ninja confirmed. "They are moving north via the eastern coast of the Land of Lightning. Looks like they are headed to the base the Akatsuki refer to as Raiton Canyon."

* * *

"_Why have I been summoned here?"_

_Tsunade looked up from her seat, and got up in a hurry. Hiroko Hyuga stood in front of her. She was a middle aged woman, with pearlescent white hair that matched her white eyes. A slightly stocky build showed a sedentary nature, but her eyes looked constantly on alert, as though expecting an attack from out of nowhere at any given time._

"_Please, have a seat, Hiroko-san." The Hyuga sat down imperiously, and waited for Tsunade to speak. _

_The Hokage took her seat behind her desk and said, "I'll get straight to the point. My assistant Shizune told me that you might probably be the only person in the village who can help us right now."_

"_Kakashi mentioned something about a seal," Hiroko said. "Is that why I am here? To break a seal?"_

"_Quite the contrary, actually," Tsunade replied. She pulled out a report from the top drawer of her shelf and showed it to Hiroko. "This is the report of Naruto Uzumaki, the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox."_

_Hiroko quickly turned through the pages, looking for information relevant to her. After she was done, she said, "So, the seal has weakened. I never thought that the Fourth Hokage would be so careless with his use of seals."_

_Tsunade was annoyed at that, but decided to ignore it. "The Fourth Hokage created that seal in a very dangerous situation. I guess having a giant claw of a demon fox going through your abdomen can take a lot of strength out of you. But he still pulled off the seal, and it kept the demon inside Naruto for a lot of years. However, I saw this day coming, and decided that it would be better to have a stronger seal surround the Eight Trigrams Seal."_

_Hiroko leant forward in interest. "Do tell."_

"_I believe that the Divine Zodiac Seal will be able to succeed where the Eight Trigrams Seal failed; that is, to suppress the extra energy that Naruto exerts when he makes use of the fox demon's chakra," Tsunade said._

_Hiroko's eyes widened slightly at that statement. "The boy makes use of the demon chakra?" she inquired._

"_Not to a great extent, of course. Only when he has run out of regular chakra in a big battle," Tsunade wasn't sure why she was bothering to explain all of this. She quickly changed the topic, "On to the reason why you are here, then. Do you think you can perform the Divine Zodiac Seal upon the existing seal, interlinking the two?"_

_Hiroko snorted. "I wouldn't be much of a curse breaker if I couldn't now, would I?"_

_Tsunade could barely keep her temper in check. 'Why does she have to act all high and mighty? I hate these Hyugas, with their attitudes.'_

_She got up and said, "If you will follow me, then."_

_The Hyuga got up and walked alongside the Hokage. Tsunade had taken Naruto from the hospital into the basement of the Ninja Ops, to the emergency room, to ensure that no one would know about the seal._

_Hiroko entered the room after the Hokage, and took a look at the boy. "Are his vitals steady?"_

_Tsunade nodded. "He suffered extreme chakra exhaustion due to a fight with a demon, and was forced to tap into the Nine Tails' chakra. Also, he used a forbidden jutsu to change his blood type in order to save one of his comrades. He's been out for a day now, and we don't know how long he will stay out. I gave him general anesthesia right now so that he won't get up in the middle of the sealing."_

"_I see," Hiroko placed her hand on Naruto's stomach, and sent a probe of chakra inside. The Eight Trigrams Seal began to show, and the curse breaker examined it carefully._

"_It seems that the seal is not weakened due to age at all, Tsunade."_

"_What?!" The Hokage could not believe her ears._

"_Yes, it is true. According to the formation of the seal matrix, it was intended to be this way. The seal was purposely created in order to leak chakra from the Nine Tailed Fox to the boy's body, in order for him to learn how to control it."_

_Tsunade's expression showed how shocked she was. Hiroko smiled at her, "It would seem that the Fourth Hokage intended for the boy to one day master the power of the Nine Tails and use it for his own benefit."_

"_I don't believe this! How could the Fourth have done something like this?"_

"_Calm down, it isn't that big of a deal. The seal was created with a failsafe in order Naruto ever crossed the limits. However, due to the seal leaking chakra for quite a while, the barrier through which the chakra is leaked has widened to an extent. I believe you made the right decision; the Divine Zodiac Seal will be perfect for bridging this seal's weakness."_

_Tsunade said, "I hope the seal will not give Naruto any problems in the future. Once when Orochimaru put a seal on top of the Eight Trigrams Seal, it completely interfered with Naruto's ability to manipulate chakra."_

"_That must have been an odd numbered seal," Hiroko explained. "An odd seal over an even seal will tend to interfere with the chakra system of the host. However, the Zodiac Seal is an even numbered seal, just like the Eight Trigrams, so it will have no side effects. Rest assured, this boy will be better off with the seal. In fact, he will even be able to use the Nine Tails' chakra through the Zodiac Seal, but only if the demon relinquishes the chakra by its own free will."_

_Tsunade nodded in understanding, and said, "You may begin whenever you are ready, then."_

_Hiroko pushed sleeves of her robes behind, and probed Naruto's seal again. "Hmm, let's see. The Eight Trigrams Seal is based off of two Four Symbols Seals, one of the ingenious designs of the Uzumakis. So, Minato Namikaze used two of those seals two trap the Nine Tails within the boy. But why would he use create a double layered matrix like this? Unless…"_

_Tsunade couldn't make heads or tails of what the woman was saying, so she simply ignored her. _

"_Ah, I see now. There's an empty space between the area where the two seals meet, and the Fourth Hokage used that area as the failsafe for his seal. I suppose that area consists of his own chakra, which lies dormant within the seal, waiting for it to completely weaken, so that he can seal it again. But once that is done, the seal will be created with no failsafe remaining. A dangerous design, indeed. The Fourth Hokage must have had a lot of faith in the boy's ability to master the Nine Tails' chakra."_

_She moved her hand to the top of the seal, and continued speaking, more to herself than to the Hokage, "So, the seal will allow the host to pull chakra out of the demon contained within, but at the cost of weakening the seal itself. Of course, the seal can be completely locked, but with that, the host would have to sacrifice the use of the demon's chakra. Both options would make it seem that the host has something to lose either way. Unless the Zodiac Seal can be interlinked with the very first layer of the seal matrix, I suppose the boy will not be able draw on the demon's chakra again."_

_She turned around to face Tsunade and said, "I'll need some time alone with the boy now, so that I have no distractions."_

_Tsunade nodded, and left, still not quite sure about the Hyuga. 'I hope everything goes well.'_

_Hiroko started gathering her chakra; the Zodiac Seal required a large amount of spiritual energy, and it would take some time for reach the required amount. Once she was done with her preparations, she began signing__._

_"Mi, Uma, Hitsuji, Saru, Tori, Inu, I, Ushi, Tora, U, Ne, Tatsu," she signed in quick succession, and traced the kanji for 'dragon' on Naruto's stomach, exactly above the existing seal. As she lifted her hand up, the kanji began to glow with a purple chakra._

"_Uma, Hitsuji, Saru, Tori, Inu, I, Ushi, Tora, U, Ne, Tatsu, Mi," the woman continued, drawing the 'snake' kanji to the right of the dragon kanji, and a little lower. She continued signing in quick succession, and drew the kanji for all the twelve animals in order, concluding each set by engraving the next kanji in the set onto Naruto's stomach. The horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, boar, ox, tiger, hare and finally the rat appeared on the Jinchuuriki's stomach, circling the Eight Trigrams seal like a clock, glowing a brilliant purple. _

"_I invoke the twelve noble animals to trap this demon," she intoned, "Divine Arts: Zodiac Seal!"_

_A set of lines began to spread out from each of the dozen kanji, connecting them to one another, and forming a web over the earlier seal. As it finished, the purple color receded, and the seal started to look more like a tattoo, jet black in color. _

_Hiroko panted with the effort, and the seal faded away into Naruto's stomach. The woman took a moment to regain her breath, and then opened the door. Tsunade was anxiously pacing outside. _

"_He's alright. The sealing was successful," Hiroko said. Tsunade rushed inside and probed the seal immediately. Looking over it for a minute, she seemed satisfied, and turned back to Hiroko._

"_Thank you so much, Hiroko-san. We couldn't have done this without you," Tsunade said, bowing slightly._

"_Of course you couldn't," Hiroko replied snidely. Tsunade's legendary temper began to rise again, but she controlled herself. "The seal is perfect. I couldn't have hoped for a better result. I am grateful for your help."_

_Hiroko pulled her robe sleeves back down and said, "If that will be all, I shall leave now."_

_Tsunade nodded. "That will be all. Once again, thank you." Hiroko turned around and walked out regally, and the Hokage dialed up Shizune. "Get Kakashi in here, we need to move Naruto back to the hospital before his friends think he's missing."_

"_Yes, Milady. At once."_

* * *

It was 2AM, the darkest time of night, when Ino, Sakura and Sasuke moved to wake the rest of the group. They had found a cave of sorts in the ravine, and covered the entrance with their chameleon tarps, so as to hide from any interception units. Once everyone was awake, the shinobi took a few minutes to prepare themselves.

"So, what's the plan?" Kiba asked. He seemed to be resolved at long last.

"Alright, listen up," Ino said. "We are going to split up into three teams. Each team will take a separate path towards the Akatsuki base. Every team will have a leader assigned to them, who will make decisions. I want each of you to have your wireless headsets on so that we can communicate with each other."

Everyone took out their headsets and tuned in to a particular frequency. Ino continued, "Sakura, Sasuke, Sasame and I will head off towards the northern path. Neji, Tenten and Lee will head into the middle path along with the Sand Siblings. Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Choji and Shikamaru will follow the southern path."

Akamaru barked. "Oh, sorry, Akamaru, you'll follow the south path too," Ino said. Everyone smiled, despite themselves. The blonde said, "Remember, your mission is to rescue Naruto, not fight the Akatsuki. As long as possible, stay hidden."

Each ninja indicated their understanding and split up into their teams. Finally, Ino said, "The leaders for the teams are Neji, Shikamaru and me. If anything goes wrong, blame it on us." Everyone smiled again, and Ino wished them the best of luck. "Let's go!"

Her team darted into the northern path. They stayed close to the wall, despite the darkness. After a few minutes, Sakura broke the silence. "Hey, Ino?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you decide these teams?"

The girl responded, "I wanted to make sure that the teams are well balanced. I kept most of the squads with their regular team members, since they can easily fight alongside each other. For example, I kept you with Sasuke, and Kiba, Hinata and Shino together, as well as Choji with Shikamaru. And I kept the Sand Siblings together as well. Moreover, each team is strong enough to take on an Akatsuki member easily, without losing."

Sasame enquired, "Why include me as part of your team?"

Ino replied, "Honestly, you are the only one in this group that I know absolutely nothing about. So I decided to keep you with the strongest team in the village, that is, team 7. Sasuke can easily substitute for two people, so we are as strong as a five-person squad anyway."

"I see. Thank you," the Fuma said.

"Shh," Sasuke said as the wall that Shino had spoken about became visible. The teen Uchiha enabled his Sharingan and said, "I see guards patrolling the top of the wall. We will have to wait for them to move to the other side before climbing up."

The guards began moving away, and Sasuke gave his team the signal. They began to scale the wall quickly, and dropped to the other side before the guards turned around to face them.

"Well done," Ino whispered. "Let's go."

Once more, they hid from the sight of the guards and continued towards the Akatsuki base.

* * *

"I didn't want to engage them," Neji said in disappointment. Lee had alerted one of the guards by mistake, and the team had had to take them out. But they knew that this was a grave mistake; once the guard was changed, they would be found out.

"Well, we'll just have to go quicker," Kankuro said. Lee apologized and Neji said, "Don't worry about it. Let's go, quick."

"Wait, we need to hide their bodies," Tenten said. Neji frowned, "It won't make much of a difference."

Tenten replied stolidly, "If they went missing, don't you think that the replacement team will waste more time searching for them? If they found them dead, the team would instantly report back."

"She does have a point," Temari said.

"Alright, what do you suggest, Tenten?" Neji said.

"Kankuro, you're an Earth Style user, aren't you?" the weapons specialist asked.

He nodded, and she continued, "Do you have any type of Jutsu that can hide these guards inside of the walls?"

The sand shinobi grinned wickedly, and nodded for the second time. The five of them quickly gathered the bodies of the four sentinels and placed them together. Kankuro quickly signed and the four of them seemed to get absorbed by the stone underneath them, until there was no sign of them remaining.

"Okay, that's that dealt with," Neji said, activating his Byakugan again. He checked to make sure that there were no guards on the other side of the wall, before giving his team the all clear. They dropped onto the floor on the other side of the wall, and paused for a moment, making sure that there was no one there.

The five of them quickly ran towards the Akatsuki base, but a stench suddenly brought them to a skidding stop.

"What the heck smells like swamp?" Kankuro asked, his hands covering his nose.

He got his answer as lights flared in the canyon path they stood in, revealing a giant turtle, even larger than the one they had ridden that morning. Except for the fact that this turtle had three giant whip-like tails lashing around behind it excitedly.

* * *

Shikamaru held up his hand to stop his team. "Five guards atop the wall in front, all facing outwards. We need to wait until they turn around, or move away."

However, after two minutes, the guards showed no signs of turning or moving. So Shikamaru moved to another plan. Thanking the stars for moonlight, Shikamaru signed quickly, and intoned, "Ninja Arts: Shadow Possession Jutsu!" The Nara's shadows quickly raced alongside the wall, and trapped up the guards above without allowing them to so much as yell out a warning. The others quickly scaled the walls and knocked them unconscious.

"We need to make this quick, the Akatsuki are sure to notice that these guards aren't going to report in when their shifts change. Let's hope that the shift doesn't change for a few hours, at least," Shikamaru said. The others nodded.

They quickly jumped down to the other side of the wall, and began to run across the widening path. However, as they crossed around one mile, they were dowsed with light. There were electric lights all across the paths, illuminating it as though it was afternoon. The Leaf ninjas were completely blinded by the sudden light. Suddenly, they heard a sound as though someone extremely heavy was walking towards them, and took up defensive positions, trying to clear their eyes by blinking rapidly.

By the time their vision was partially cleared, a little part of the glare was blocked by the shadow of a giant feline, ready to pounce on them, its two tails waving about furiously.

* * *

Sakura brought up the rear of the rhombus formation with Sasuke in the front, his eyes trying to make out the pathway, Ino on the left and Sasame on the right. Sasuke suddenly stopped, and the rest of them came to a skidding stop just before they could crash into him.

"What's the matter, Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"Take a look for yourself. You'll see in a minute," the boy answered.

As the lights shone in the canyon, the pinkette gasped to see a giant sand colored tanuki staring at them, waving his giant tail around. His giant body made the ground shake as he walked towards the Leaf team.

"**I remember you**," he growled, as he took a look at Sasuke. "**You're that brat who's friends with the brat who contains the Kyuubi**,** aren't you**?"

"Yeah, that would be me," Sasuke replied, without a hint of fear in his voice. The raccoon like creature looked at Sakura and said, "**You**.** I remember you as well**.** You're the girl that brat worked so hard to save**."

Sakura turned slightly pink, remembering that Naruto used to have a crush on her. She said, "I'm much stronger now than I was before. I can take care of myself now. So don't think I'm some pushover this time."

"**Hmm**. **You've got some spunk**,** kid**. **I'm going to enjoy beating you to a pulp**." He turned towards Ino and Sasame. "**I don't remember you**. **Are you friends of the Kyuubi's container as well**?"

Ino said, "Yeah, we are. And his name is Naruto. We're really pissed off right now, so the last thing you want to do is get in our way."

The One Tails let out a giant roar in anger that he was being spoken to like that. "**You insolent brat**!** I'm going to destroy you**!"

* * *

"_Do you remember what my backup plan had been, in case the Infinite Tsukuyomi failed?" Madara asked Deidara once they were alone._

"_Not really, but then again, I never paid much attention to your plans," Deidara replied casually. A vein pulsed in Madara's forehead in annoyance, but he let it go._

"_The backup plan was to use the Bijuu directly, without trapping them in the Gedo Statue. That way, we could unleash the Tailed Beasts on the Five Great Nations, and bring them down to their knees, making it look like a disaster, while in fact controlling them secretly. After the Great Nations had been reduced to rubble, we would step in to 'fix' the problem and earn money and goodwill from it."_

_Deidara shrugged, "Why make that your backup plan? It seems much better than the actual plan. But what significance does that have here? Oh, wait, you're not going to…"_

"_Exactly," Madara said with a glint in his unmasked eye. "I'm going to partially extract the Tailed Beasts from the statue, and put them into these bracelets." He put three silver bracelets onto the table, each with a gemstone lodged in the center._

"_The wearer of the bracelet will be able to control the power of the Tailed Beast within the bracelet. But at the same time, enough power of the demon will remain in the statue to maintain the balance of power, preventing the other Bijuu from breaking free."_

_Deidara took one of the bracelets and examined it. "How much of the Tailed Beast power are you going to put into this bracelet?"_

"_Around sixty percent should suffice," came the reply. _

"_And which beasts are you planning to use?" Deidara enquired._

_Madara said, "The One, Two and Three Tails. I cannot use the others because it will upset the balance too much." He signed for about half a minute, and the bracelets started to glow. _

_Deidara looked keenly at them and said, "Is there anyone who you can really trust to control the Bijuu?"_

_Madara smiled under his mask and replied, "I'm assigning the bracelets to the members Zetsu and I selected to replace Hidan, Kakuzu and Sasori. If they can defeat the Leaf squad, then they'll have proved their worth. If not, we'll know that they are not going to be enough."_

* * *

The Two-Tails looked at the Leaf shinobi with death in her eyes. Her gigantic form was toned like a wildcat, her muscles rippling with every movement. Her otherwise completely blue fur was complemented by black flames flickering as she walked towards them. Her left eye was green and her right eye yellow. Giant claws dug into the stone path of the ravine as she walked. Her fangs were as long as Neji was tall, completely unmarked. Although her face was indecipherable, her posture was completely at ease, and her tails had stopped moving.

The beast took a deep breath, and after filling her lungs completely, she let out a cone of blue fire at the Leaf team. The shinobi scattered in order to avoid the fire and Hinata activated her Byakugan without a hand sign. Shikamaru called out, "Spread out. That way, we can divide its attention and prevent it from attacking more than one at a time."

The five ninjas took off, each going a separate way. However, once they were out of her path of attack, the feline seemed to pause in confusion. After a few moments of consideration, she turned towards Choji and Hinata, who were closer together than the rest of the team.

"Hinata, get out of the way," Choji advised her. As she scrambled out of the surrounding area, Choji signed and intoned, "Partial Expansion Jutsu!"

As the feline charged towards him, Choji's hand increased in size until it was almost as large as the feline's face. The Akimichi closed his fingers into a fist and swung hard, catching the demon on her jaw. The demon roared as she fell back, and Choji quickly downsized his hand, trying to put out the flames that had started to burn it.

The cat reared back her head and blew another inferno out of her mouth, this time right at Choji. He was able to get out of the way, however. At the same time, Shikamaru was done signing, and he cast one of his only elemental jutsus, "Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!"

A giant vortex of water erupted from the Jonin's hands, expanding as it did. It hit the Two Tails straight in the belly, washing it away. The flickering flames surrounding the cat seemed to die down, and the monster nearly fell over. Hinata charged in, knowing that they only had a few moments before it found its balance, and began to attack the feline's legs with her Gentle Fist, attempting to paralyze it.

However, the Tailed Beasts had a completely different anatomy, and an overwhelming amount of chakra points. Hinata was unable to do major damage before the cat stabilized herself.

Kiba signed and said, "Inuzuka Transformation! Man Beast Clone!"

Akamaru turned into a copy of Kiba and the two of them charged towards the feline at a rapid speed, roaring, "Fang over Fang!" As the cat started to charge towards Shikamaru, seemingly seeking revenge for being attacked, Kiba's jutsu hit her right in the face, causing her to roar in pain. A giant gash opened up on her forehead, leaking blood out. A few second later, however, the gash began to heal itself.

However, the force of the attack had forced the demon onto its side. Suddenly, a voice sounded out of nowhere, shouting at the Two Tails, "Get up! Kill them!"

A woman emerged out of the darkness behind the Two Tails, and ordered it to kill the Leaf team.

"Hinata, how could you not see her?" Shikamaru asked, more in astonishment than in accusation.

"I was c…completely focused on t…the Two Tails. Sorry, Shikamaru," Hinata replied. She used her Byakugan to try to figure out who the woman was.

"She's taller than any of us, and quite slender. She's wearing a tight yukata, with the same black color and red clouds as the Akatsuki wear on their robes. She has lavender hair, and matching eyes. No weapons that I can see."

"Alright," Shikamaru replied. "I'm sure that she's the one controlling the Two Tails. In that case, one of us must face off against her."

"I'll do it," Shino replied softly. "Why? Because I am much more useful in a fight against a human than a Tailed Beast."

"Nobody asked for a reason, Shino! Just get going!" Kiba barked.

The hooded shinobi ran towards the renegade Akatsuki member, quickly circling around the feline. Choji threw another expanding punch at the cat to distract her, allowing Shino to reach his adversary without any obstacles.

"My, you are eager to fight," the woman said. "Who are you?"

"I am Shino Aburame," the insect user replied directly. "And you would be?"

"I am Daisuke of the Hidden Grass Village. Nice to meet you."

'Seriously? A polite renegade? That has never happened before,' Shikamaru thought, one ear and eye focused on Shino, while the other focused on the cat. Kiba was now attacking the demon periodically with his Fang over Fang technique, while Choji kept expanding his fists and throwing in punches. Sadly for him, the flames on the fur of the demon had reignited, causing serious burns on his fists.

Shino allowed a cloud of insects to hover above him, and said, "I would like you to stop this fight right now, before you get hurt."

The woman named Daisuke smiled, "I could say the same to you. Surrender and I shall see to it that you aren't hurt anymore." She glanced at the others as well, taking in the burns on Choji's fists, and the worn down face of Kiba.

"That is not an option," the insect user said, "Because Leaf shinobi never abandon their comrades." He pointed towards the Grass ninja, and his insects began to swarm over her. The woman signed quickly, and said, "Water Style: Water Cannon Jutsu!"

A blast of water shot out of her hands, soaking the insects, and they fell to the floor, writhing. Shino adjusted his goggles, "I see, you can use Water Style. So my kikaichu will be useless against you."

Daisuke smiled, "True. I wonder if you are good in TaiJutsu. Having insects to attack with must make you a long range expert."

She charged in, and Shino quickly dodged her opening salvo. "The Leaf Village trains us in all aspects of combat, focusing not only on our strengths, but also on our weaknesses," he told her.

As Daisuke aimed a punch at his face, Shino ducked underneath her hand and hit her on the chest. His face colored as he touched her breast, and even she looked slightly embarrassed. She jumped back away from him, and said, "Is that also taught in Konoha? To cop a feel while fighting a female opponent?"

"Hardly," Shino replied apathetically. "Gender does not matter in a fight. You would as easily kick me in the crotch if you get the chance."

"That's a great idea, but I'm not sure whether you'll have anything other than insects down there," the rogue-nin replied, smirking.

Shino's face was incomprehensible, but he signed quickly, "Ninja Arts: Insect Tornado!" A giant swarm of insects surrounded Daisuke before she could sign. However, she disrupted the technique by blasting chakra out of her body. Shino looked moderately surprised; he never expected an opponent to use chakra in that way before.

"That is impressive," he noted. Then he saw something on her right hand and said, "That bracelet on your arm, its purpose is to control the Two Tails, is it not?"

Daisuke grimaced at having her secret found out so quickly, but did not reply. Instead, she charged towards Shino, engaging him in battle.

"Ninja Arts: Insect Clone Jutsu!" Shino intoned, splitting himself into two. Daisuke paused, unsure of which was the real one. The two Aburames took advantage of the situation and ran towards her, tackling her from both sides, intoning at the same time, "Iron Mountain Learning!"

Daisuke flew back into the wall of the ravine, the breath knocked out of her.

Shikamaru trapped the feline in his shadows, knowing that it wouldn't hold the demon for long, but giving Choji just enough time to uppercut the Two Tails with a giant hammer-like fist. Kiba followed up with another Fang over Fang, this time aimed at the front left leg of the demon. The animalistic shinobi brought the feline down to three legs, and Hinata quickly charged in, using Gentle Fist on the right leg on the front side of the cat.

Daisuke realized that she hadn't given any instructions to the Two Tails, which is why it was not trying to attack. She mentally sent a signal to the demon to shoot fires at the shinobi, and then turned back to focus towards Shino, who waiting for her.

"Why did you not finish me off immediately?" Daisuke asked him. Shino replied, "My fighting style is not so crude. However, you are going to die soon anyway, if you don't surrender."

The woman snorted and signed, "Water Style: Water Whip Jutsu!" Two whips of water appeared in her hands and she began to lash out at Shino, who simply dodged them. The more he dodged, the more frustrated Daisuke grew, and the more error-prone her attacks became. She wondered why Shino was not trying to attack her.

"Is this how you always fight? Defensively?" she said. He didn't reply, and she sensed that something was wrong.

'Could he be planning something?' she thought. 'Perhaps he is trying to think of a way to get the bracelet off of me. Like that's going to happen.'

Suddenly, the water whips disappeared, leaving her confused. "What the…"

Shino adjusted his goggles, "Parasitic Giant Insects: Bug Bite."

Daisuke was horrified as her chakra began to disappear, and croaked, "How?"

Shino replied casually, "When I touched you in our first encounter, I placed a kidaichu on you. Kidaichu are different from kikaichu, and are generally undetectable. They are almost microscopic in size and take some time to reach the chakra system, but once they do, they suck out all the chakra from the victim, growing in size as they do. You'll be dead in a matter of seconds. You should have surrendered."

Daisuke screamed as a giant insect burst out of her stomach. Shikamaru looked slightly sick, and turned away, not wanting to puke. Shino walked up to the insect and ran his head over the insects' head, pulling out the chakra it had gathered from Daisuke, and reverting it to its small, nearly invisible size.

He kneeled over next to Daisuke and closer her eyes, softly saying, "Rest in peace." The insect user took the bracelet out of her hand, and looked at the Two Tails.

Somehow, when the controller had died, the demon had stopped attacking the Leaf shinobi. Instead, she was busy licking her paws, her claws retracted inside, implying that she was no longer trying to hurt them. The Leaf shinobi looked confused, and Hinata said, "Shino-kun, can I h…have that bracelet?"

"Sure," Shino handed the bracelet over to Hinata. She slipped it on, and Shikamaru said, "What are you doing?"

Hinata looked at him. "Don't you t...think it is strange that the d...demon isn't attacking us? It seems like it is p...perfectly content acting like a r...regular house cat, now that it isn't being c...controlled by that woman."

"Whatever the fact may be, why are you trying to control it now?" Choji said.

Hinata replied, "I am not trying to c...control it, I am t...trying to communicate with it."

She sent a sliver of chakra into the bracelet, and the gemstone began to glow. The Two Tails turned and walked towards her. Hinata looked at her nervously, but the demon sat down in front of her and…purred?

"Okay, that is crazy," Shikamaru said. Hinata wondered what the mechanism to communicate was. Was it a simple thought speech process? Or was it communication through chakra? She tried forwarding her thoughts to the cat.

'Can you hear me?'

A moment later, although she didn't expect it, a reply came back, '**I hear you**.'

'You were trying not to hurt us, weren't you?' Hinata said, having replayed the fight against the cat in her head and realizing that she had never harmed them too much.

'**Of course not**. **I was being controlled by that human**, **so I couldn't ignore her**, **but I didn't want to hurt any of you**. **In fact, your friends hurt me a lot more than I hurt them**.'

'I apologize in their stead,' Hinata replied. Shikamaru said, "Hinata, what's going on?"

She turned to him, "Hold on, I'm speaking to the Two Tails. She says she didn't want to hurt any of us."

Kiba snorted and the Two Tails looked at him in annoyance. He quickly submitted under her gaze.

'I don't understand, Two Tails,' Hinata frowned, 'You are one of the Tailed Beasts, one of the most vicious demons in the world.'

'**But I never wanted to be**.'

'What? What do you mean by that?' Hinata asked in confusion.

'**We were created by the Sage of the Six Paths to maintain balance and peace in this world**. **However, the shinobi world saw us only as tools to increase their strength and they tried to assert their dominance over us**. **We were supposed to be treated as your equals**, **and we would help you out wilfully**. **However, you ninjas sealed us into your bodies**, **making our lives living hell**. **That is why most of the Tailed Beasts have come to resent humans**, **and try to destroy them whenever they are freed of their prisons**.'

Hinata listened with rapt attention, and the Two Tails continued, '**However**, **I am one of the few who has not suffered so much as the others**. **Maybe by fate**, **or maybe by their nature**, **my Jinchuurikis were the most tolerable out of all**. **In fact**,** Yugito**,** my last host**,** was more like a dear friend of mine**, **and we worked together**, **and fought together against any enemy that threatened us**. **Which is why I don't have the hate that the other Bijuu harbor against you people**.'

'I see,' she Hyuga said sadly. 'I am grateful that you didn't want to kill us.'

'**Of course**,' Two Tails responded, '**However**, **I would be grateful to you if you freed me from my prison**.'

'Prison? What do you mean?' the girl asked, confused. 'I thought you are sealed into this bracelet.'

'**No**, **the bracelet contains only part of my powers**, **used for battle**,' the demon replied, '**The rest of my power is still sealed within the Gedo Statue**, **used by the Akatsuki to store the Tailed Beasts**.'

'Oh! I didn't know that,' the female Hyuga said. 'I'll try to help you.'

She turned towards the rest of the Leaf ninjas and said, "Two Tails is asking for our help to free her from the Gedo Statue which holds her prisoner. She has never wanted to hurt any humans, because unlike the other Tailed Beasts, she doesn't harbor any hatred for humans."

"Then why was she fighting us before?" Choji asked.

"Because she was being controlled by that woman," Hinata replied, "I just learned a lot about the Tailed Beasts, and I shall tell you about it sometime, but not now. Right now, we need to help her."

Suddenly, the others noticed something. Shikamaru vocalized what everyone was thinking, "Hinata, you're not stammering anymore."

"Really? Oh yeah, that's right. I just realized it," Hinata said happily. Shikamaru wondered whether this was due to some sort of chakra contact with the demon, but decided against saying anything at the moment.

Hinata looked at the bracelet more carefully, and studied the sealing matrix on it. "Hmm, that is weird. It looks like a Six Pronged Seal, but is in fact two Triple Tomoe Seals. A Triple Wave Seal is drawing part of her power out of the statue and a Triple Shadow Seal to bind her consciousness to the bracelet. Wow, and overlapping that is a Circle of Thoughts Seal to allow the bracelet user to control her."

She looked up and noticed everyone's blank expressions.

"Damn, Hinata, when did you get so good with seals?" Kiba asked.

Hinata blushed at the praise from Kiba and said, "I had a lot of interest in seals when I was a child. I somehow don't remember what sparked my interest, but I read thousands of scrolls and books on seals. And the Byakugan also has another advantage; it allows us to read much faster than regular people, so I was able to advance in seals much faster than others."

She turned her attention back to the seals, and was slightly disturbed due to the fact that the seals essentially split the Two Tails into two different parts. However, she was also impressed by the ingenuity and creativity of the combination. She decided that the best way to release the Two Tails from the seals was by using a chakra pentagon.

"I need all four of you to help me form a chakra pentagon. Shikamaru, can you be the water anchor?"

The apathetic shinobi nodded. Hinata continued, "I will be the lightning anchor, which means Choji can become the fire anchor. Kiba can be the earth anchor. Shino, can you be the wind anchor?"

Shino said, "Actually, I am not proficient in wind chakra."

Choji smiled, "That is alright. You can be the fire anchor, right?"

Shino nodded. Choji continued, "I learned about wind chakra from Asuma-sensei. I can become the wind anchor."

Hinata thanked them. Everyone nodded and she continued, "Everyone get into position; lightning, fire, earth, water and wind. Start sending out your chakra when you are in place. I will need to forge a binding seal as soon as I break the other seals on the bracelet."

Kiba smiled at her in encouragement and she blushed a deep shade of pink. Hinata focused on the bracelet again and said, 'I am going to free you from the prison. However, I cannot allow you to run free, as my village would not permit that. So I will seal most of your power into the bracelet, allowing you to use it when necessary. Apart from that, you will be the size of a regular house cat.'

'**That works fine for me**,' Two Tails said, '**In fact**, **I have always wanted to be a small cute cat**,** who is loved by everyone**.'

Hinata smiled at her, and the Two Tails said, '**Good luck**. **And Hinata**, **my name isn't Two Tails**. **It is Matatabi**.'

The female Hyuga said, 'What a beautiful name! I swear I'll get you out, Matatabi.'

The cat smiled.

Hinata and the others surrounded the Bijuu, and started sending their chakra out. Once all the chakra natures reached her, Hinata took a deep breath and began signing.

"...Hitsuji, Tatsu, Ushi," she intoned, "Seal Break!" She pressed her palm into the gemstone of the bracelet, and her face scrunched up in pain as she tried to fight against Madara's seals.

Matatabi's hackles began to rise, and she hissed angrily at the strain on her energy. The chakra linking the demon to the bracelet became visible, even under the bright light of the electric lamps. Then, the chakra tracing began to fade, and Hinata signed again as quickly as she could. As the seals completely broke, Hinata panted with the effort, but quickly intoned, "Ninja Arts: Elemental Pentagonal Seal!"

A purplish pentagonal seal formed on the gemstone of the bracelet, and Hinata could hear the beast saying, '**Thank you**.'

She replied, 'I am not done yet.' She took a food pill out of her pocket to regain some of her chakra, and signed yet again, "Ninja Arts: Mortal Elements Seal!"

She slammed her palm into the gemstone again, forming a five pointed star inside of the pentagon seal. Everyone looked cautiously at the girl, but her intent became clear as the seal took hold, burning itself into the gemstone. Matatabi began to shrink rapidly. She went on shrinking until she became the size of a normal cat.

Finally the reduction stopped, with the demon now only three feet in length from the nose to the tip of her two tails. She no longer had any flames on her fur, which was now a natural bluish grey, rather than the flaming cobalt blue it had been before.

"Meow?" Matatabi vocalized. Kiba couldn't help but smile at that. Akamaru smelt the cat, and walked over to her, towering over her.

For a moment, things seemed tense; everyone wondered whether Akamaru was going to chase a demon, but then the dog wagged his tail and barked as though to confirm that he liked Matatabi. Everyone smiled.

"What exactly did you do, Hinata?" Choji asked.

"I used the Elemental Pentagon Seal to move the spirit of the Two Tails, or Matatabi, I should say, into the bracelet. After that, I used the Mortal Elements Seal to lock her chakra into it. So unless I release that chakra, Matatabi will remain the cute little feline you see in front of you, with no more strength than the average human. However, she is completely free, and it will be safe for her to be around other people."

The cat walked up to Hinata and rubbed up against her affectionately, purring. Hinata knelt down and began stroking her head.

Shikamaru sighed, "This is going to be a drag. I am not going to like explaining to the Hokage how we just freed a demon."

Everyone realized what he was talking about, and sighed in depression as well. Hinata focused back on the bracelet, and spoke to Matatabi, 'I hope you're happy with what I've done.'

'**It is more than anyone has ever done for me**, **Hinata**. **Thank you**.'

Everyone stood around for a few seconds, before Shikamaru said, "Umm, aren't we forgetting something?"

"Of course! Naruto!" they all shouted at once.


	57. Chapter 57: Battling the Beasts

**Author's Note: Hey, how's it going guys, CannonBaller for the win here, and I'm back with another chapter for you today. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up, this is the last chapter I'll be posting this month, because my finals are coming up in a couple of weeks, and I've really been slacking off lately. I need to get organized and get some good grades, so writing is going to have to take a little backseat now. Hope you guys understand. Heck, I know you will, since you're a really awesome crowd. :D So, without further ado, jump right in! Happy Reading!**

**Chapter 57: Battling the Beasts**

The Three Tails stared at the shinobi with its left eye, the right eye clamped shut tightly. Its huge form blocked out most of the brightness from the lamps shining everywhere. The demon opened its mouth and spat out a pond-sized amount of stinking water at the rescue squad.

Though they managed to avoid the putrid water, the stench knocked everyone off balance. Kankuro and Temari were the least affected, however, and the latter signed quickly, intoning, "Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

She opened her fan as wide as she could, and sent sharpened gusts of wind towards the giant creature. The Three Tails roared in fury as small gashes opened up in its legs. They healed almost instantly, though, providing little comfort to the rescue squad.

The demon turned towards Temari to shoot another burst of the putrid liquid. But before it could open its mouth, Lee jumped up onto its shell, and stuck his quarterstaff into the creature's eye. Although not severely injured, the monster roared and reared back in pain, swinging its head towards the wall to get rid of the TaiJutsu expert.

Lee quickly jumped off the turtle's head and landed back onto the ground to avoid being splattered onto the wall. Neji was carefully watching the battle with his Byakugan activated. He suddenly noticed a thread of chakra connecting the Bijuu to a rock, and moved closer to it.

'There,' he thought, as he made out the skeleton hiding behind the rock. He relayed the information to the rest of the team, and Kankuro said, "I'll go take care of that guy, my puppets are kinda useless against giant monsters like these."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Kankuro raced off towards the rock that Neji had pointed out. The rest of the team squared off against the turtle, wondering how they could defeat it.

Neji said, "Tenten, use Fire Style attacks against the creature's legs. I will try to close in when it is injured and impede its eyesight by attacking the chakra points around its optic nerves. Lee, I want you to cause a nuisance behind the demon, out of its line of sight, so that you can cause a distraction. Temari, use your wind chakra to amplify Tenten's jutsus. That will allow us to inflict double the damage, because wind always increases the power of fire."

Everyone nodded and scattered around the demon. Lee headed towards the tails of the creature, and Neji stood a little to the turtle's left, waiting for Tenten and Temari to hit the demon so that he could get to work on its eye.

Tenten signed, "Fire Style: Crimson Passion Jutsu!"

Temari's eyes widened slightly; although the Sand village was not proficient in Fire Style techniques, the Crimson Passion Jutsu had created a name for itself throughout the elemental nations for being one of the strongest fire style jutsus in the world. It was an S-Rank technique, which only a few could ever master.

The Sand Jonin quickly opened her fan to its maximum configuration, and jumped up, shooting out a blast of wind towards the three streaks of red hellfire racing towards the Three Tails. The force of the fire, coupled with the wind chakra, greatly enhanced the damage it dealt to the demon. The nearby water vaporized instantly, and the creature let out a bellow of pain from being scorched at over a thousand degrees.

Temari landed on the ground right next to Tenten and knew she had to ask. "Where did you learn this technique from, Tenten?"

The weapons specialist replied, "Gai-sensei taught it to me."

"I didn't know that Gai could use NinJutsu," Temari said, surprised at the revelation.

"Of course he can," Tenten smiled, "He is a fully qualified Jonin, after all. He also taught me the Summoning Jutsu and helped me sign the contract with the turtle clan. He used to be known for his fire and lightning jutsus before he took on Lee and swore that he wouldn't use NinJutsu again, until he made Lee his equal in strength."

While they spoke, Neji had jumped up onto the demon's face, hanging on to the exterior armor that covered part of its eye. He quickly analyzed the tenketsu of the creature, and started aiming Gentle Fist attacks at its optic nerves, but was unable to disable the chakra points, partially due to the thick skin of the tortoise, and partially because the chakra points were so far inside the body that the Jonin's attacks didn't reach there.

As the demon began to recover, it shook its head, trying to get rid of the Hyuga, who simple jumped off towards the left, and surmised the situation. The Crimson Passion Jutsu had dealt out quite a bit of damage, as the demon was now moving much slower than normal, and favoring its left legs.

Tenten was panting; she wasn't yet able to use the jutsu at its full strength, due to her chakra reserves not being as large as normal users of the jutsu. Temari handed her a food pill, and said, "Eat it quickly, we're going to need that jutsu again if we want to survive."

The weapons specialist nodded.

* * *

"We have a report from the battle," a shozoku clad ninja reported to Tobi. "The Two Tails has been defeated."

A kunai flew into his throat, killing him instantly. Madara sat back in his chair in anger. "I know that the Two Tails has been defeated. I could hear the roar of the Gedo Statue as the remaining part of the Two-Tails was pulled out of it. Who could have the power to undo my seals and use their own to transfer the Two Tails to another medium? Could I have underestimated these kids?"

Deidara walked in, and shook his head in disappointment, looking at the dead ninja. "You sure you want to kill the people on your side? Things aren't looking too good right now. I presume you heard the Gedo Statue's scream."

The Uchiha nodded. "I never expected that the kids could have the power to unseal the Bijuu. I will have to tell the others to be careful."

"Daisuke is dead," Deidara said casually. "I guess you were wrong. She could never have replaced Hidan as a full member of the Akatsuki."

Madara scowled under his mask. "Never mind that. Let's hope that the other demons are better off. After all, the Two Tails is the weakest spirit, since she doesn't harbor any hatred towards humans."

* * *

Kankuro used Salamander to break the rock which Neji had pointed out. A male shinobi emerged from within, astonishing the Sand Jonin.

"Shima? What are you doing here?" Kankuro asked in amazement.

The man moved forward and smiled at the Sand shinobi. He appeared to be in his early thirties, with dirty blonde hair and piercingly blue eyes. He wore an outfit similar to Gaara's, but with a pale tan color replacing the maroon of the Kazekage.

"Temari, Shima is the one controlling the Three Tails," Kankuro reported in on his headset.

"What? When did Shima join the Akatsuki? And why would he?" Temari demanded.

Neji frowned, "You know the man who is controlling the Bijuu?"

Temari nodded, replying, "Shima was an elite Jonin from the Sand village. But when Gaara was declared the Kazekage, Shima was furious, because once when Gaara had been on a murder spree, he had injured Shima's three year old son. He refused to accept Gaara as the leader of the village, and quit, becoming a rogue ninja. But I never would have thought that he would join the Akatsuki."

"Wow, unbelievable," Tenten said softly. The two kunoichi dodged another blast of water, and Neji said, "Let Kankuro take care of him. We need to deal with this creature. Lee!"

Lee, having so far been unable to distract the Three Tails, quickly ran over to the Leaf Jonin, dodging the tails lashing out towards him. "What should we do, Neji?"

Neji took a deep breath and said, "I want you to open the first Three Gates. Attack the shell of the Three Tails, and try to weaken it."

Lee nodded, and stood at attention. An aura began to surround him, and he intoned, "The First Gate! Gate of Opening, Open!"

Lee's chakra became visible, and he flexed his forearms, clenching his fists shut. "The Second Gate! Gate of Healing, Open!"

Lee's hair stood on end, as the chakra around him began to expand in area. His veins bulged as he controlled the overwhelming power. He concentrated hard, and shouted, "The Third Gate! Gate of Life, OPEN!"

Lee's skin turned a dark combination of brown and red, and his eyes became completely white, as the aura around him turned green in color. He looked at Neji, and the Hyuga smiled at him, "Give it hell."

He blinked and Lee vanished from the front of his eyes. Neji saw Lee atop the back of the Three Tails, punching and kicking the shell as hard as he possibly could. The demon seemed to have felt the attacks, because it let out a giant roar of pain, and began lashing its tails around its shell, trying to push Lee off.

* * *

Kankuro pulled Crow and Ant out of his scrolls, and faced Shima.

"The last time I saw you, you were a Chunin, with control over one puppet only," Shima said with a slight smile.

"I've grown a lot since then," Kankuro said. "I'm a Jonin now, so don't go thinking that I'm some pushover."

"Oh don't worry. I have learned not to underestimate the power of shinobi."

Kankuro twirled his fingers, and Crow flew towards Shima, engaging him in combat. Shima dodged the barrage of blows that Crow lashed out, before catching the puppet's hand in his left arm and attempting to clothesline it. However, Kankuro was able to bend Crow's body backwards so that Shima's arm flew over the puppet.

As Crow dodged the attack, he kicked out at Shima with his left leg, and the renegade Sand ninja allowed the motion of the clothesline to carry through, following it up into a spin kick, so that he went under Crow's outstretched leg, and connected with the puppet's right leg, knocking him down.

Before Crow could recover, Shima punched a hole into the puppet with his fist. Kankuro grimaced and pulled Crow back, shooting poisoned senbon out of the puppet's mouth to distract Shima. The older Jonin dodged the senbon as best he could, but one of them got stuck in his right forearm.

"You might as well give up now, Shima," Kankuro said, "Each senbon is poisoned with one of the rarest poisons available in the Five Great Nations. You will never be able to heal in time."

Shima grinned. He pulled out the senbon, before taking a kunai out of his pouch. As Kankuro watched curiously, Shima stuck the kunai right into the hole made by the senbon, grimacing in pain as the kunai struck his flesh.

"What are you doing?" Kankuro asked in amazement. "Do you **want** to die quickly?"

Shima said, "For a Jonin, you still are pretty ignorant about the ways in which poison can be removed from the body. I removed all the blood that was immediately infected with the poison right away, so that it wouldn't be able to spread any further."

"But in doing so, you've left yourself with a bigger wound that isn't going to heal quickly. You'll bleed out in no time," the puppet user said.

Shima pulled out a wire from his pocket and tied it around his wound, before holding the end in his mouth.

He signed quickly, "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

A small stream of fire erupted out of his mouth, and it raced down the wire he had held between his teeth. It reached his hand in no time, and cauterized the wound so that the bleeding would stop.

"Wow, that's barbaric," Kankuro said, slightly disgusted by the crusted look that now accompanied Shima's right arm.

"It gets the job done. Well, what are you waiting for? Go on, try something else."

"Gladly," the Sand Jonin signed, and Salamander ran in a straight line towards the renegade ninja. Shima didn't even attempt to move out of the way as the puppet barreled into him. All he did was use five hand signs just before the puppet connected with him. Kankuro frowned, and wondered what Shima had been thinking.

As he pulled Salamander back, he noticed a dent in Shima. Wait, a dent?

Shima ran towards Black Ant, and kicked it hard in the stomach, sending the puppet flying into the wall of the canyon. He then charged over to Salamander, and jumped above it, using the puppet as a springboard to reach Kankuro. The younger Jonin couldn't summon any of his puppets in time, and took a hard punch to the chin, tumbling to the floor. He felt a few teeth loosen from their sockets.

The rogue shinobi smiled, "I may have refused to accept Gaara as the Kazekage, but even I admit, some of his jutsus were impressive. I adapted his sand armor technique into a stone armor of my own, covering my body completely, so that I don't have to continually keep dodging everyone's attacks."

"But the armor will only last for a while," Kankuro said, rubbing his chin, "Since it is a jutsu, it will gradually diminish your chakra."

Shima grinned wickedly, "No shinobi who has seen my armor has lived to tell the tale." He charged towards Kankuro, who brought Crow in front of himself to defend him. Shima aimed a punch at Crow, and sent the puppet barreling into his master.

Kankuro used a smoke bomb to conceal himself, and made Salamander open his mouth. As the smoke cleared, Shima saw himself standing right in front of a cannon emerging out of Salamander's mouth.

'Uh oh.'

"FIRE!" Kankuro yelled. A giant ball of metal shot out of the puppet's mouth and hit Shima square in the stomach. The force at which it hit him propelled the rogue-nin right into the wall of the canyon. Kankuro grinned.

However, his grin was short-lived, as Shima came out of the wall, another giant dent in his stomach. "That hurt," he said, stretching his back.

"It should have killed you," Kankuro spat in anger. Then he thought, 'I need to get rid of that armor somehow. Otherwise all my attacks will be futile. Wait a minute, if he had the stone armor on, how did my senbon pierce him?'

Lee was thrown off the turtle as it pulled its head and legs into its shell and rolled over. Neji darted forward and pulled him out of there before the TaiJutsu expert could get crushed by the weight of the demon. Tenten signed and used the Crimson Passion Jutsu again, with Temari using her winds to amplify the fire's strength. The jutsu hit the beast on its right legs again, and it bellowed in pain as it went crashing down on its right side.

Shima charged at Kankuro again, and the puppeteer was forced to use Black Ant to protect him. As Shima fought Ant, Kankuro thought, 'Either he started using the armor after I hit him with the senbon, or sharp weapons can pierce through them. I need to check.'

Kankuro had Black Ant open his arms, sending out a bunch of senbon towards Shima. The older man snorted, "The same attack, again? That won't work on me now!"

This time, the senbon simply bounced off of the man.

'I see,' Kankuro noted, 'He activated his armor after the first senbon pierced him. Now, what kind of attack would be able to pierce the armor he's wearing? Hmm, he said that his armor was stone armor, so it would be an Earth Style jutsu. I'll need to hit him with a Lightning Style jutsu then.'

As Shima began to charge at Kankuro again, the puppeteer signed quickly, "Lightning Style: Lightning Strike Jutsu!"

Shima paused in curiosity, as Kankuro's right hand was enveloped in an electrical current. The older man laughed and said, "Well done. You can use Lightning Style techniques. What good will it do when you can't attack without your puppets?"

Kankuro smirked, "You should really be careful about what you say."

Crow charged towards Shima, and the man quickly blocked the punch coming his way. However, what he did not see was the lightning passing through the chakra threads controlling Crow. The current extended from the puppet's body and shocked the rogue ninja, quite literally.

Shima fell to the ground, his body twitching. He got up groaning a few seconds later, and growled, "You should not have done that."

Kankuro grinned in triumph as Shima's body developed cracks. The rogue shinobi realized that Kankuro had the counterattack to his jutsu now, so he stopped wasting chakra on his stone armor. The armor fell off of him in pieces, and he said, "You know, one of the disadvantages of that armor is that is really slows you down. Now that I no longer have it, I can move at my regular speed."

He took a step forward and vanished. Kankuro was amazed; he didn't know that Shima was so fast. He smelt the rogue's attack rather than seeing it, and sent Crow to his right to block it. However, Shima feinted and aimed a punch at the puppeteer from the left instead.

'Not good!' Kankuro barely blocked the punch using Black Ant as a shield, and decided that it would be better for him to finish this fight as quickly as possible. He signed, "Poison Mist Hell!"

Shima laughed, "I already showed you that poison won't work against me!"

Kankuro grinned and waited for Shima to attack him once again. As the rogue ninja tried to punch him, Kankuro substituted out of the way, leaving Salamander in his place. Before Shima could find him, the younger Jonin made Crow and Black Ant whirl around the renegade at a high speed. Crow started shooting poison gas bombs at Shima.

The older Sand ninja held his hands to his mouth, trying not to inhale any of the poisonous gas. However, before he could plan anything else, a barrage of senbon started raining through the gas clouds, emerging from everywhere possible.

'Uh oh,' was all he could think. However, he wasn't a Jonin for no reason. Pushing copious amounts of chakra into his feet, the renegade ninja jumped out of the gas clouds, into the clear sky.

"I've got you now!" Kankuro yelled. Shima looked at him in confusion, and Kankuro made a slicing motion. Suddenly, Black Ant appeared behind Shima, and pulled him into the hollow space inside its torso.

Kankuro intoned, "Black Secret Technique: Iron Maiden!." He spread out his hands, and Crow split into eight parts, each with a giant sharp blade at its end.

Shima tried his hardest to get out of the puppet, but it was too late. Kankuro moved his hand towards Black Ant, and Crow's different body parts raced into the holes in Ant's stomach. A sickening sound emanated from within Black Ant, and Kankuro opened up its stomach. Shima fell out, coughing blood onto the canyon floor, riddled with holes throughout his body.

"Very…very im…impressive, Kank…uro. I…I guess you… surpassed Sasori of…of the Red Sand…after all."

He collapsed onto the ground. Kankuro checked his vitals and confirmed that he was dead. Now that it was over, he couldn't help but feel bad. He called it in on his headset, "Shima is dead."

Temari said, "Oh, shit."

"What? What's going on?" Kankuro turned to face the Three Tails.

The beast had gone completely berserk. It was spouting giant streams of putrid water everywhere, and rolling up into its shell all the time, trying to flatten the shinobi fighting it. Shikamaru called out on his headset, "Kankuro, find something that shouldn't belong to Shima! He was controlling the beast before he died, so he must have some sort of device to do it!"

Kankuro saw a glint under Shima's robe sleeve, and removed the bracelet that was clasped onto the dead man's hand. He put it on and said, "Three Tails, stop."

It had no effect whatsoever; the demon continued its rampage across the canyon. It was only a matter of time before it seriously injured someone.

"Lee! Get away from there!" Neji shouted. Lee had opened the Sixth Gate and was attempting to hit the terrapin with his Morning Peacock. However, he couldn't get close enough.

Suddenly, the demon paused. It looked behind towards the Akatsuki base, and then suddenly tried to run in the opposite direction.

"What the heck?" Kankuro thought. Suddenly, the bracelet began to glow, and the Sand ninja quickly took it off. Just in time as well, as the bracelet exploded, and the Three Tails began to get drawn towards the base.

It was almost pitiful, watching the demon struggle to get away unsuccessfully, until it was fully drawn away into the base.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, and wondered what had just happened.

Neji spoke, "It seems as though the Three Tails was summoned back into the place where it was being held before it was unleashed upon us."

Looks of comprehension dawned upon the rest of the team and they nodded in agreement. Temari said, "That would be the Gedo Statue. Gaara told us about it when he was rescued by Naruto and his team." She put her fan into its holster, "Let's go. In case you don't remember, we're here for a reason."

Everyone remembered their mission to rescue Naruto and rushed towards the base, hoping that no one else would stand in their way.

* * *

Sasuke jumped upwards to dodge the punch that the sand demon had aimed at him. Ino pushed Sasame to the right in order to save her from getting crushed by the giant fist. However, Sakura stood her ground. As the beast's punch came closer, the kunoichi's chakra flared, and she brought out her right fist, aiming a counter punch at the block of sand heading towards her.

The ground shook as both, Sakura's and the demon's fists collided with one another. The One Tail's fist began to crumble, and Sakura smirked. "Is that the best you can do? I can beat you in sheer strength!"

The tanuki growled, more in anger than in pain, and roared, "**You just messed with the wrong beast**! **I won't go so easy on you the next time**!"

He pulled his arm back and hit himself in the stomach. Sasuke shouted, "Watch out, I've seen that attack before! He's going to shoot wind chakra out of his mouth!"

True enough, the beast began to shoot giant bullets of wind chakra at the rescue team. Sasuke dodged them easily with his Sharingan, pulling Sakura out the way of the attack. Ino and Sasame were on the right side of the canyon, wondering if there was a way to defeat this monster.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Sasuke enquired. The pinkette was surprised at the concern in his voice, and replied softly, "Yes, I am. Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

The two of them turned to face the monster again, and Sasuke said, "The One Tails is a Sand spirit, so he should be vulnerable against water. Also, normal fire jutsu won't work since he is a desert demon, but giant fires should fuse his sand together, creating glass."

Sakura looked at him, "You're the only one among us who can use Fire Style. Unless Sasame can as well."

They looked at the other two, and Sasame shook her head, saying, "The Fuma clan specialize in traps, needles and threads. I can string the demon up for you guys, but apart from that, I am not really helpful in this fight."

The rest of them looked at Ino. She said, "Wait a minute. If you can string him up, that would limit the demon's mobility. Let's work towards that for now."

Sasuke added. "Not only that. If you can get your threads around his body, then I can cook that demon up with one of my favorite fire jutsus."

Sasame nodded in determination, and said, "I will need you guys to provide a distraction while I run around underneath him, anchoring my needles in the canyon to provide support to the threads."

"You got it," Sakura and Ino said. The Yamanaka put her hands together, forming a loop, and said, "Sakura, take care of my body for a few seconds. I don't expect I'll last long against the demon's psyche, but I should be able to distract him."

Sakura ran over to support Naruto's girlfriend. Ino intoned, "Ninja Arts: Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Her consciousness left her body as it raced towards the demon. Ino entered the demon's psyche, and nearly screamed at the overwhelming presence of the beast. The chakra of the monster was too strong for her to maintain her consciousness, and she was thrown out of the demon's mind almost instantly.

Sakura pulled Ino up in a sitting position, and the girl's consciousness returned to her body. "Oh my God, that was horrible. The demon's power was so strong that I couldn't even stay in his psyche for over a second."

Sasuke signed quickly, "Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"

A giant ball of flames raced towards the One Tails, and Sasuke took advantage of the situation to get Sasame past the legs of the creature. The Uchiha jumped upwards to get in front of the One Tail's face, and threw smoke bombs right into the beast's nostrils.

The smoke clouded the creature's eyes for just enough time. Sasame darted back and forth underneath the sandy tanuki, creating a web of threads. She anchored her Fuma needles to the walls of the canyon, passing the threads between them as quickly as possible, knowing she didn't have a lot of time. Sasuke waited for the smoke to clear, before signing again. As the One Tails took a swipe at him, he jumped up on the arm of the demon, and ran up to his shoulder. He intoned, "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

The small bullets of fire weren't strong enough to turn the demon's sand into glass, but they were enough to blind him temporarily. Sakura barreled into the demon's stomach, throwing a punch at it as hard as she could. The One Tails staggered backwards due to the force of the punch, and Sasame pulled her threads up tightly. The net she had created was propelled upwards, and the demon got caught in it, his legs stuck in place due to the threads wrapped tightly around them. But the Fuma didn't stop there.

As the beast began to regain its vision, Sasame raced across its body, wrapping threads around him wherever possible. She got her threads across the beast's stomach, neck, arms, shoulders, and chest as well. Once her thread supply began to run out, the Fuma ninja cut the thread and called out. "Sasuke!"

He looked at her and she nodded, holding out the end of the thread. He quickly shunshined towards her, and caught the thread in his teeth. Using the same jutsu Shima had, Sasuke signed as fast as possible, and roared, "Fire Style! Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

However, being an Uchiha, a master in Fire Style, his flames were much stronger than the renegade Sand ninja's. They raced across the demon's body, engulfing it in flames. The team retreated slightly, waiting to see what would happen.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt another presence in the area. He knew it was not the demon, so he told the others, "There's someone else here. Probably a shinobi who is controlling the One Tails. I'm going to find them."

Sakura shook her head. "You're the only one who can truly fight against the demon. I'll go. Just point me in the right direction."

Sasuke considered the options, and decided that Sakura was right. He replied, "Alright. Head towards the other side of the demon, and towards that rocky structure to the right. It looks like it was created on purpose, unlike the rest of the canyon."

Sakura nodded and quickly ducked underneath the still burning Bijuu, running towards the rocks that Sasuke had pointed out as fast as she could. 'If I can defeat this person, then the demon should stop attacking us. I hope.'

As she got closer to the rocky structure, she could sense the chakra presence too. But before she could pinpoint the location of the hiding Akatsuki member, a fist appeared through the wall and hit her right in the cheek, sending her rolling away.

Sakura straightened herself up, but was fairly surprised to see the face emerging out of the rocks. "Fubuki?"

"You wish it were. I'm Mayuko Kakuyoku, Fubuki's younger sister," Mayuko announced, as she dropped out of her hiding spot.

Sakura realized that the ninja was at least partially telling the truth, considering the anatomical differences between the girl in front of her and the woman she had fought in the Land of Snow. She noted that her current opponent sported a Hidden Snow headband with a line crossed against it.

"You paid great insult to my sister, and I am going to avenge her," Mayuko said vengefully. She sent a mental signal to the One Tails to fire sand blasts at the rest of the team, and charged towards Sakura.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sakura asked neutrally. "I mean, I defeated your sister when she was a Jonin, and I was just a Genin then. I'm a Jonin now, so you shouldn't underestimate me."

Mayuko drew out a shortsword from behind her back, and began to slash at Sakura, who dodged easily enough.

"Don't go thinking that I'm some pushover either. I've had training from some of the strongest shinobi in the world," Mayuko shouted, as she tried to behead the pinkette.

"At least your sister was loyal to her country. You just joined up with a bunch of terrorists. You're nothing but a traitorous renegade."

Mayuko tried to strike again, but Sakura brought out a scroll and quickly sent chakra into it, manifesting her battle axe from within. She went for an overhead strike, which made Mayuko retreat slightly, and reconsider her options.

Meanwhile, the One Tails was leading the rest of the squad on a fine dance across the canyon, trying to hit them with giant lances made of sand. He grinned in delight, and roared, "**Go on, keep dancing**!** Let's see how long you can last, kids**!"

'I don't want to waste my chakra here on this demon,' Sasuke thought. 'My Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan can bring him down easily enough, but it will take too much chakra. Who knows what I might have to fight next?'

He looked at Ino, "Do you have any Water Style jutsus that might get his feet to unbalance?"

Ino nodded, "Keep him distracted until I can get close enough. There's no water anywhere here, so I'm going to have to use a lot of chakra to get my jutsu strong enough."

Sasame and Sasuke began using projectiles to get the demon's attention. The beast reared back in pain as one of Sasuke's demon wind shurikens hit him in the center of his eye. He swiped a giant paw of sand at the two of them, completely forgetting about Ino, which was what Sasuke was going for.

The girl quickly climbed the net that Sasame had constructed, which was keeping the tanuki in one place, and signed, "Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu!"

She stretched her arms, pointing towards the demon's legs. A giant sphere of water began forming in front of her arms, and when it was big enough, Ino launched it right at the underside of the beast's belly, trying to get it to spread as much as it could.

The water bullet burst upon impact, turning the tanuki's legs muddy. The beast was unable to balance himself, and fell forward onto the net.

Mayuko grimaced as Sakura blocked her sword yet again. She crouched and aimed a rising kick at the medic ninja, but almost got her leg cut off instead. Realizing that this was getting her nowhere, she sheathed her sword and dropped into a TaiJutsu stance. As she did, Sakura noticed a bracelet glowing under her left sleeve. At the same time, the One Tails let out a roar and managed to get back up by sending some of his sand from his arms to his legs, creating a support for himself.

'Hmm. Could it be that the bracelet is controlling the One Tails?' Sakura wondered. "What's the matter? Can't get the upper hand using your little toy?" she asked, keeping her tone light, so as to increase the implied insult. Mayuko rushed towards her, and lashed out with her left arm.

However, Sakura let go of her axe, and caught the Snow renegade's arm with her own, squeezing it hard. The younger girl howled in pain as her bones cracked under Sakura's immense strength. Sakura pushed the girl behind, holding on to the bracelet so that it would slip out of the Snow ninja's hand due to her momentum.

"No!" Mayuko yelled, sending chakra into her cracked bones to heal it instantly, but imperfectly. She ignored the unevenness of her ulna, more concerned with regaining full use of her forearm. There were several medics in the Akatsuki who could fix it later. She signed as fast as she could, intoning, "Ice Style: Ice Spears!"

Three giant spears of ice formed in the air in front of her, and the younger ninja propelled them towards the Leaf ninja. Sakura dived forward, picking up her axe, and dodged the first one, cutting the second one in half with her axe, and simply punched the third one with her left fist, shattering it into pieces.

Spikes of sand exploded wildly from the beast, digging into the walls of the canyon, and destroying a handful of the electric lights. Sasuke was able to anticipate the attack, and dodged the spikes easily. Sasame and Ino worked together to dodge them, and Ino said, "He's attacking much faster than before. What's going on? It's like he's lost control!"

Sasuke looked at Sakura, and noted that she had a bracelet on. 'That must be the device controlling the beast. Since Sakura doesn't know how it works, the demon has no-one controlling it right now.' He relayed the information to the rest of the team, and Ino shouted back, "In that case, we need to get to Sakura!"

Sakura cursed herself for allowing the Snow ninja to finish another jutsu, which had surrounded her fists with an aura of extreme cold. Taking a glancing blow to her shoulder, Sakura had been inflicted by frostbite which would take ages to heal normally. She realized that a full blow would have just as easily killed her. Mayuko was much stronger in TaiJutsu than with her weapons, and the medic was forced to avoid a lot more than blocking, which she was generally used to.

Noticing that the rest of the team was rushing up towards her, with the One Tails hot on their heels, she quickly back-flipped away from the Snow ninja, and threw her bracelet towards them. "Ino, catch!"

The Yamanaka took hold of the bracelet, and looked at the gemstone. It was clear to her that there was some sort of seal on it that allowed the user to control the beast. Sasuke said, "That's a binding seal. I learned some of them from Orochimaru. However, this is way more advanced than the ones I've learned."

Sasame said, "I know a little about FuinJutsu. Let me take a look at that bracelet."

Ino handed it over to her, just as the tanuki caught up to them. He lashed out with his tail, and Sasuke jumped up, running atop the tail to confuse the demon.

Sasame studied the seals for a minute, and said, "Okay, so one of these seals pretty much bring part of the soul of the beast out of its container, and seal it into the bracelet."

"Wait, wait," Ino interrupted, "One of these seals?"

Sasame nodded. "There are three seals on this bracelet. As I was saying, the first one extracts part of the Bijuu from its original container into the bracelet. Another seal binds the consciousness of the beast to the gemstone. And the third seal, overlapping the first two seals, allows the user of the bracelet to control the beast."

"I see," Ino nodded. "Is there any way to remove the seals so that the demon goes back to where he came from?"

The two of them dodged a swipe from the demon, running away from it.

Sasame looked at Ino apologetically as they ran. "Unfortunately, I'm not so advanced in FuinJutsu, to remove seals, especially seals as well prepared as these."

Mayuko lashed out at Sakura, her rage conquering her self-control. The Leaf ninja carefully dodged every attack, knowing that one hit could send her on a one-way trip to heaven. She caught a few of the attacks on her axe, but was worried that the extreme cold would turn her weapon brittle. The pinkette activated her Ranshinsho, trying to disable the Snow renegade, but the younger girl dodged her attacks in kind.

Mayuko was not angry only because she was not being able to defeat Sakura. Having the bracelet wrested out of her control meant that she was no longer eligible for being elected to the top tier of the Akatsuki. The girl decided that trying to take back control of the bracelet was her top priority. She quickly dodged an attack from Sakura, before running towards Sasame. However, Sasuke got in the way, and kicked her right in her midsection, knocking the breath out of her.

Sakura, annoyed that Mayuko had run off right in the middle of their fight, caught up to the renegade and poured much more power into the Ranshinsho than necessary. The rogue-nin's body jerked due to the current, and then began to flail randomly.

"What did you do to me?!" Mayuko screamed.

"Oh, I simply short-circuited your body. You won't be able to control your limbs for the next hour or so."

The Leaf team turned to face the One Tails, who was growling at them now, and Sasame wore the bracelet. "Stop, beast," she ordered.

"**Sorry**,** dear**.** There's more to it than that**," the demon grinned. He charged at them with his hammer like fists. Suddenly, the Leaf ninjas realized that there was a wall behind them, and that there was no place they could run in time. Sasuke prepared to use his Susano-o, but there wasn't enough time.

Sakura, Sasame and Ino closed their eyes, waiting for the punch to come, but it never did. Suddenly, a giant dome of sand leapt up around them, protecting them from the attack. For a few seconds, all that the Leaf shinobi could do was blink in surprise. Except for Sasuke, who looked up at the wall of the canyon they were backed up against, with an almost imperceptible smile on his face.

"I suppose we could call this a reunion, except that it is the first time we have met face to face," a familiar voice carried through the valley. Sakura and the other girls turned to look at the newcomers at the top of the wall, following Sasuke's gaze.

"Gaara!" Sakura called out in relief.

"**Well**,** well**,** well**.** If it isn't my beloved host**,** Gaara**.** I thought you were dead**. **Although**, **now I get to do it myself**," the One Tails smirked. "**And now that the pitiful excuse of a human that was controlling me is dead**,** nothing can stop me from killing off the rest of you insects**."

"I disagree strongly, Shukaku," Gaara retorted calmly, taking off his gourd of sand.

Shukaku chuckled. "**You would fight one on one**?** Well**,** well**,** someone's got a big head**.** Maybe I'll hammer it down for you**."

Gaara ignored the smart talk, and pulled out a small brass urn from his gourd. He slung the gourd back onto his shoulder.

Shukaku's smile disappeared. "**No way**…" he trailed off worriedly.

"Yes, you're right. It is the kettle in which you were first sealed, all those decades ago," Gaara confirmed. "Ever since you were extracted from within me, I've been carrying it around, in case we ever met."

"**NO**! **I won't let you**!** Never again**!" the beast turned towards the Akatsuki base and tried to scamper away.

"Matsuri, Maki, stop him," Gaara ordered. "Baki-sensei, Natsuki, help me with the sealing."

Gaara's apprentices got ahead of the demon and used their wind chakra to set up walls of wind between themselves and the beast. Shukaku bounced off the walls twice, before turning back. He knew he could not climb the walls of the canyon, thanks to the Akatsuki's defensive techniques, but he recognized that he could get away through the damaged barricade behind the ninjas. Gaara and the rest of his team moved to the Leaf ninjas and Gaara enquired, "Are you alright?"

Everyone nodded, and the man continued, "Do any of you know anything about sealing?"

Sasame nodded, "I do. Although I've never really practiced it."

"In that case, can you act as a corner for the Earth Sealing Square Seal?"

The girl replied, "I can manage it."

"Good," Gaara looked at his team, "The four of us will contain Shukaku."

The four of them began to move into position as the demon began to charge at them again.

"This is not going to be easy," Gaara noted with a hint of worry in his voice, as Baki and Natsuki separated to get to the far side of the beast.

"Will this make it any easier?" Sasame enquired, holding up the bracelet she had put on her arm. "The Akatsuki member we defeated was using this to control the demon."

The Kazekage smiled broadly.

* * *

"The One Tails is down as well, Madara. Mayuko has failed you," Deidara smirked, lowering his binoculars and looking at Madara, as the screams of the Gedo Statue faded. "What are you going to do now?"

Madara was fuming. How had those kids taken away two of his Tailed Beasts in one day? It was impossible.

"Give me those." He snatched the binoculars away from Deidara, and looked intently at the battlefield where the One Tails was being sucked into a small urn of some kind.

"Wait a minute. That is the Kazekage. How did their team reach here so quickly? Weren't they supposed to be at least eight hours away?"

Deidara shrugged.

Madara threw the binoculars away and looked at Deidara. "Go and kill that kid. I want the One Tails back at all costs. Do you understand?" he said vehemently.

Deidara tied up his hair and said, "You don't give me orders anymore. I'm no longer part of your little band of misfits. However, I can't wait for the chance to take down the Kazekage a second time."

Deidara walked out of the room they were in, and Madara turned back to the window from where he had checked on the One Tails. 'Is it possible that the Leaf backup squad has also arrived?'

A stealth clad ninja arrived at the door and said, "Lord Tobi, the platoons from the Deep Forest and the Observatory are here. They are awaiting orders."

Tobi turned towards him. "I want all available units to defend the base, no matter what the cost may be. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!" the ninja saluted and disappeared.

'This is not good. I need to move the statue from here. If the Leaf ninjas find out about it, my plan is as good as over,' Madara thought.

* * *

"**This isn't over**!" Shukaku roared as he was compressed into the kettle, "**I will escape**, **and then I will slaughter every last one of you**!"

Gaara shook his head sadly, "No, you won't." He closed the lid of the kettle, completing the sealing. Once the demon was gone, Maki and Matsuri removed the wind barriers they had used to deflect the demon.

Gaara looked over to the rest of his team. "Natsuki, Baki-sensei, if you please," he said, putting down the kettle.

The other two Jonin hurried towards the container, and took out blank paper talismans, crafting new seals and adding them to the top of the kettle.

"Are you certain those tags will hold?" Sasuke asked.

Gaara nodded, "They will last until we reach my village. Once we return, I can take more permanent measures."

The Uchiha inclined his head upwards slightly, satisfied with the answer. He looked towards the base and said, "We're going to have company soon. I can see a large group of shinobi heading outside the base, presumably to defend it."

The Kazekage gathered up the sand he had used in defending the Leaf ninjas and put it back into his gourd. "In that case," he said, "Let's fight."

* * *

Neji's team turned a corner and found themselves face to face with Shikamaru's team.

"Hey, it looks like this is the spot where the paths merge," Shikamaru noted. Shino nodded, "Indeed. This is the spot."

"Where's Ino's team?" the male Hyuga asked. The lazy genius shrugged.

"Perhaps they're still fighting their Bijuu," he noted.

Neji frowned, "So, you guys were up against one as well?"

"Yup, we faced the Two Tails," Nara said. The Two Tails bumped her head against him, sticking her tongue out.

Hinata smiled. "I think she doesn't like you saying Two Tails. Her name is Matatabi."

Neji looked confused, and stared at the cat. He noticed its tails, and looked up at Hinata, who was looking fondly at the feline. "Wait a minute…" he trailed off as it dawned upon him.

"You freed the demon?" he asked Hinata accusingly.

The younger Hyuga looked at him, quite offended, and said, "Neji-san, would I do anything without a reason? Matatabi doesn't hate humans, and was forced to attack us. She always wanted to become a regular house cat, so I decided to seal her power in this bracelet which was being used to control her."

Neji was amazed. He had no idea that Hinata was able to use FuinJutsu. "Where did you learn sealing, Hinata? And when?"

The female Byakugan wielder tapped her fingers together, "When I was a child, I learned a lot about sealing from books and scrolls. Oh, and I just remembered, Aunt Hiroko taught me a lot as well."

Neji suddenly understood. If Hinata had been secretly studying under the curse-breaker's supervision, she was bound to be an expert in seals.

Shikamaru broke the pause, "What now? Do we wait for the others or just go ahead?"

Neji replied, "I'll check what they're up to on the headset." He tuned his headset again and spoke into it, "Ino, come in. Ino, we're heading towards the Akatsuki base. Do you copy? Over."

A moment later, a reply came in over the headset, "I copy, Neji. Wait up, we're heading towards the base too. Where are you? Over."

The Hyuga told her, "Both teams are waiting at the intersection of the three paths, where they merge. How far out are you? Over."

Ino's reply surprised them. "Look up, genius! Over!"

The two teams looked up to see Ino's team flying over them on clouds of sand.

"Gaara!" Temari said happily. The Kazekage landed the others and then got off his own cloud, landing in front of his siblings.

"I presume you faced the tailed beasts as well," he said.

Temari nodded. "We faced the Three Tails, and Shikamaru's team went up against the Two Tails, who has been freed from the Gedo Statue." She pointed at the feline who was currently rubbing up against an uncomfortable Neji.

Gaara knelt down to get a good look at the cat, and said, "Who did this?" His tone wasn't pleasant.

Hinata slowly came forward, and said, "I did."

The sand shinobi stood straight up, and said, "Hinata Hyuga, I must say, what you've done today…" he paused, and then smiled slightly, "is nothing short of a miracle."

Everyone relaxed, the tension dissipated. Gaara continued, with his smile disappearing, "Although, I'm not really sure whether Lady Tsunade will react in the same way."

Everyone went back to their tensed state instantly.

Shikamaru turned towards Ino, "What do we do now? Storm the base?"

Ino said, "We are waiting for ten minutes, Gaara said that there are reinforcements from our village heading this way."

Gaara nodded, "We rendezvoused at the Land of Forests, but since my method of traveling is faster, we were able to get here earlier than them. They should be a few miles out."

Everyone nodded. The shinobi took a break and began to check their equipment, or began stretching out, or simply sat on the ground, recharging their energy.

A few minutes later, Sasuke felt the presence of someone he knew, and he frowned. Sakura noticed his expression and asked him, "What happened, Sasuke?"

"Nothing," the boy turned around. The pink haired girl wanted to press the matter, but had long since understood that Sasuke wasn't the type to take continued interrogation nicely.

She turned to where he had been looking, and noticed the shadows running along the top of the canyon wall. They jumped down as they reached the shinobi. As they came into the light, Sakura's eyes gleamed in happiness.

"Kakashi sensei! You're here!"

The white haired Jonin gave her his eye smile, "Of course I am. You don't think that I would let Naruto get kidnapped and not do anything about it, do you?" he replied casually.

"Who are the others?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, they're, my old ANBU friends," Kakashi partially lied. Then the last guy came forward, and the Jonin continued, "And I think you might recognize this man."

All the Leaf ninjas nodded in delight, "Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka scratched his head sheepishly, and said, "Hey, guys. Hope we're not too late."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ino voiced, "Let's go!"

"Hey, hey, hey, hold up, young lady," Iruka told her. "Now that Kakashi and Gaara-san are here, maybe we should let them take the lead."

Ino pouted, but knew that Kakashi was one of the best strategists they had in the village. And Gaara wasn't the Kazekage without reason.

Kakashi smiled, "Don't worry, Ino. We'll be heading to rescue Naruto in about five minutes. Everyone, make sure that you're ready for battle. Shikamaru, if you would please join us?"

"What a drag…" the lazy Jonin walked towards Gaara and Kakashi.

* * *

Sakura took a look at one of the ANBU members, and walked over to him. The one next to him tensed, but the first one held his hand up. The pinkette spoke softly, "Itachi?"

The older Uchiha nodded. Sakura said, "I knew Sasuke must have sensed you, otherwise he wouldn't have gotten upset."

Itachi replied, "I guess he still hasn't completely forgiven me."

Kisame spoke gruffly, "That kid is dumb."

"Watch it." Sakura faced the man with death in her eyes. "Insult Sasuke again, and you'll be sorry."

Kisame tried not to show it, but he was actually slightly intimidated by the girl's fierce expression.

Itachi laughed lightly, "I guess Lady Tsunade did train you to be her successor," he told Sakura.

She retorted, "In more ways than one."

She turned to the last member, and said, "And who might you be?"

Itachi cut in, "Best not to ask right now. After this mission, I will ask Lady Tsunade if the rest of the ninjas on this mission can be told everything about him, Kisame and me as well."

"Hmm," Sakura said, not quite sure what she thought of that deal. She decided to buy it. "Alright, that's fair enough."

* * *

Iruka walked among his students, who were all sitting together, making small talk. He looked at them happily, thinking about how they had all made so much progress in the last four to five years.

Tenten got up and said, "Come join us, Iruka-sensei." He smiled, "Alright, if you have place for your old sensei to sit."

"Of course, Iruka-sensei. There's always room for family," Ino said.

The innocence of the statement nearly brought tears to the eyes of the teacher. He smiled with pride and sat down, listening to his students, and providing his thoughts when required.

* * *

"So, what do you think, Shikamaru?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, based on the fact that we don't know anything about the interior of the base, our best bet is to send in a team with one of the Hyugas. That way, they'll have eyes everywhere. Keeping Ino out of the team might as well be an invitation to die, so she'll be going in as well. Other than that, I think the rest of Team 7 should head in as well. And that means you as well. I doubt Naruto would be any less happy to see you than he would to see Ino, Sakura and Sasuke."

Kakashi nodded. He tried to speak but Shikamaru's statement suddenly made his realize how highly Naruto valued him.

Gaara said softly, "Take a moment, Kakashi." The Jonin turned around quickly.

The Kazekage turned to Shikamaru, and said, "Who do you think should be the one to head in with Team 7 and Ino? Neji or Hinata Hyuga?"

Shikamaru replied instantly, "No offense against Hinata, but I believe that Neji is better at killing without feeling bad about it. Hinata is great at fighting, but she has a moral conscience that is dangerous is these situations. Also, I think Nagato should head in with them, staying in the shadows, but helping out all the same."

Gaara frowned, "You know about Nagato?" Shikamaru nodded, "I was one of the few who were informed about him. I knew that the Hokage would pull out all the stops to ensure Naruto was rescued. Itachi Uchiha and Kisame are also here, am I right?"

"Yes, they are. I must say, I now understand why the Hokage values your advice so highly," Gaara said. "What about the rest of the team?"

Kakashi turned back towards them, his emotions now in check, "If Sasuke and I are both heading in, we don't need a Hyuga looking out for us. We can cover each other's blind spots with our Sharingan." Shikamaru and Gaara nodded.

Shikamaru took a look at the base, and said, "If I'm not wrong, then Madara Uchiha already knows that we are here. He must have already assembled his soldiers to fight us. It is up to us to ensure that the team inside is not overwhelmed. We need to make an entry point for them, while defending them from attack. As soon as they enter the base, we have to cover the doorway to block anyone from outside entering in."

Kakashi said, "Shikamaru is right. We need to split the members outside into three teams, one on the left, one in the middle and one on the right. The middle team will be the heavy combat team, which will cover the doorway from attack. Let's see, who do we have with us on the outside?"

Gaara looked over at the new leader of Root, "Let's lay it out in team format. We have Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Nagato and you heading into the base. That leaves us with the Sand Siblings, Baki, Natsuki, Matsuri, Maki, Itachi, Kisame, Iruka, Hinata's team, Neji's team, Shikamaru, Choji, and Sasame Fuma."

Shikamaru quickly considered the ninjas in question and drew a plan in his mind. "Itachi, Kisame, Kiba, Choji, Lee and Iruka will be in the middle team. They are the heaviest hitters we have."

Gaara listened with a nod.

"On the left, we will have the rest of the Leaf, and on the right we can have the Sand ninjas," Shikamaru told him. "That way, we can maintain all the teams working together achieve maximum strength and teamwork."

Kakashi had to hand it to him; the plan was the best they had. He looked at Gaara, who nodded in agreement.

The genius continued, "Gaara, I leave arranging the positions of the Sand ninjas to you. Organize them as you see fit. I'll arrange the positions for the team on the left. And the middle team can be handled by Itachi."

Kakashi said, "What makes you think that Choji and Kiba will listen to him? They don't know who's under the mask."

The Nara smirked, "They'll listen because you will name him as the leader. Call him by his mask name." Kakashi smiled under his mask; Shikamaru had given this a fair amount of thought in under five minutes.

"If we're done here, then, let's return to the others and explain the plan."

"Sounds good to me," Shikamaru yawned. Gaara began walking alongside Kakashi, with the lazy Jonin dragging his heels behind them.

* * *

"Alright, listen up," Kakashi said. Everyone got up and turned to look at him. Once everyone was ready, the white haired Jonin said, "We are splitting into four teams. They are as follows:

Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Tiger (Nagato) and me. We will be heading into the base.

Boar (Itachi), Hawk (Kisame), Iruka, Kiba, Choji and Lee. You will be the center team outside the base, protecting us from outside. You will not allow anyone to enter the base after we go in. Boar, you will be leading this team.

Shikamaru, Neji, Tenten, Hinata, Shino and Sasame. You will handle the left side of the base. Your captain will be Shikamaru.

Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Baki, Natsuki, Matsuri, Maki. You will handle the right side of the base. You will be captained by Gaara."

"Got it?" he asked. Everyone nodded and split up into their teams.

Gaara nodded, and Kakashi pulled up his headband, closing his other eye to balance his vision. "Alright, let's go!"

* * *

"They're coming," Madara said. Zetsu looked at him carefully, unable to understand what wheels were spinning in the Uchiha's head.

"Should I tell Deidara to begin the attack?" he enquired. Madara nodded. "I want none of them to reach Naruto Uzumaki. Spill the blood of every shinobi we have if you have to. They will **NOT** take back any more of the Bijuu."

As Zetsu left the room, the eyehole in Madara's mask glowed. He looked through the window, watching the Leaf and Sand teams running towards them.

"It is time to show these kids what happens when they mess with a real Uchiha," Madara growled, as he removed his mask, revealing two purple eyes with a concentric spiral design embedded in them.


	58. Chapter 58: Naruto VS Kyuubi

**Author's Note: Hey, guys, CannonBaller for the win here, and I've got another chapter for you guys. Yes, I know it's been a long time, but I've had some stuff to deal with, and it left me with no time or energy to continue for a while. However, continue I did, and here we are! So without further ado, dive right in. Happy Reading!**

**Chapter 58: Naruto VS Kyuubi**

**While the rescue squad was busy battling their respective Bijuu…**

Naruto looked around curiously at the flowery field. It had started becoming hazy, and the landscape was changing constantly, as though it would disappear any moment.

"Oye, Kyuubi."

The fox ignored him. Naruto walked towards the fox and called out again. This time the demon looked at him in annoyance. "**What do you want, brat**?"

Naruto replied, "When I first saw you, we were in a different place, kinda like a sewer. You were on one side of a prison, and I was on the other side. Why is there no wall separating us this time?"

The fox replied dully, "**Of course there is a wall. The ingenuity of this seal's design is such that the wall is not visible unless the contained spirit tries to escape it**."

Naruto looked completely stymied. The Nine Tails sighed. It got up and began to walk towards Naruto. As it got closer, the flowers at its feet began to grow thicker and thicker. As the demon reached out to attack Naruto, the flowers shot up and restrained it.

"Ah, I see," Naruto said. "Well, can you tell me what's going on outside?"

"**Not that I care**," the demon said, "**But it seems that removing the Zodiac Seal damaged the seal that the Fourth Hokage placed on you. I guess it will take time for the Akatsuki to completely drill through it. And once they do, I'll make my escape**."

"Uh huh," Naruto said, "And do tell me how you plan to do that?"

"**I'll improvise.**"

The world around them rumbled a little. For a brief second, the surroundings turned back into the sewer, and then went back to the flowery world. Naruto looked around in concern, but the fox's eyes gleamed.

"**Hmm, I wonder…**"

"What are you up to, Nine Tails?" Naruto asked warily.

"**Oh, you'll see**."

The fox joined its hands, and intoned, "**Sexy Jutsu**!"

Naruto gaped as a female version of himself appeared in front of him, seemingly coming out of the fox's body. However, this version seemed a little different, as she was sporting flaming red hair instead of blonde, and was wearing an armored bikini.

"What the heck? Since when can you do the Sexy Jutsu?" Naruto demanded.

"**Don't you remember me telling you at the Sound Village? You picked up the Sexy Jutsu from me. Did you honestly think that you were bright enough to create your own jutsu at such a young age**?" the female version of the fox replied. "**And anyway, my version of the Sexy Jutsu is much better than yours. How do you like Naruko**?"

Naruto blushed as Naruko began flaunting her assets in front of him, and shouted, "Cut that out! I've got a fiancée, ya know!"

Naruko stopped and said, "**Yes, I guess I should stop playing around**."

She walked towards Naruto, and this time, the flowers did not stop her.

"**As I thought**," Naruko said triumphantly, "**The damage done with the seal allows me to send a little power through the barrier without activating it. The question is, how much**?"

Naruko joined her palms together and focused her energy. The blonde youth stared, wondering what was going on. The female's eyes started glowing red, as the pupils turned into slits. A tail of blood red chakra formed behind her. The environment remained as it was.

She slowly increased her power, and the another tail erupted behind her. At this point, the landscape began to rumble again. She paused for a moment, and the world stabilized again. Once Naruko started to create a third tail, however, the Fourth's seal reacted, and the surrounding fields disappeared, reverting back to the sewer.

"**Hmm, seems like two tails is the limit I can send over to the other side**," Naruko smirked. Then she slipped between the bars of the prison and faced Naruto, who was stunned at the sudden development.

"Wha…but…how? How can you escape through the seal?" Naruto asked, looking nervous for the first time in his life.

Naruko began walking towards him with a nasty grin on her face, "**Like I said, the damage between the seals done by removing the Zodiac Seal was enough to allow this much power to pass through the seal. My main body will keep sending power through the seal as I lose it, so that I won't tire out. However, the same cannot be said for you**."

"Uh oh," was all that Naruto could think, as the female counterpart of the fox jumped towards him, her claws extended.

"What are you doing, you stupid fox?!" Naruto roared as he dodged Naruko's chakra wrapped fingers. He fell over his feet in haste, and quickly rolled back into a crouching position. The blonde jumped back as Naruko closed in again, but this time she kept up his pace.

Naruko threw a punch at him, but the boy was able to counter with a throw, flipping the female over his shoulder. However, the demon's counterpart was much faster and flexible, and she twisted in mid-air, slamming a fist into Naruto's skull.

As he stumbled away, Naruko sneered, "**I'm taking the last chance I have. I am going to kill you, before the Akatsuki can.**"

The blonde took up a defensive stance and dodged the next two attack that came at him. "Won't you die along with me, baka?" he said angrily. He aimed a punch at Naruko, who quickly caught his counterattack, her nails cutting into his arm.

The boy quickly snatched his arm free and tried to dodge her follow up kick, but she was too fast anyway, and he tumbled to the ground. She smirked, "**I probably won't. You see, we are inside your mind right now. I can destroy your mind and soul from here, keeping your body intact. And when the host of a demon dies, the body becomes the inheritance of the contained demon by default.**"

"**And if I'm wrong**…" She began signing quickly, with a sadder expression, and completed her jutsu.

"**Fire Style: Scorching Tails Jutsu**!" The female counterpart of the demon turned around on the balls of her feet, and the two chakra tails behind her caught fire. They lengthened and lashed out at Naruto.

The boy was forced to abandon his fighting stance and jumped backward awkwardly, trying to escape the attack. However, the scorching hot tails followed him doggedly, and one of them clipped him on the leg, before he was able to make it out of range.

Naruto looked down to see his pant of fire, and hurriedly put it out. He signed quickly, "Wind Style: Cyclone Spikes Jutsu!" The hastily created jutsu was incomplete, and only five missiles of wind chakra shot out from Naruto towards the demon.

Naruko pursed her lips in annoyance and her tails batted away the missiles dismissively. She charged towards him again, and batted out with her claws. Naruto knocked her first attack away, but the second attack connected, drawing blood from his arm, where he had been scratched.

Naruto hopped back again desperately, and proclaimed, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

However, nothing happened and Naruko laughed at him, "**You cannot create duplicates of yourself within your own mind**."

"Kitsune," the boy tried to summon his staff-blade, but the weapon did not appear either. He tried again, but remained empty-handed.

"**The same rule applies**," she laughed, "**This world was created by our shared minds and the seal which connects us together. Real life objects will not work here**."

* * *

"Eh?" the scientist paused the extraction of the Nine Tails as Naruto's weapon suddenly appeared on his chest out of nowhere. One of the assistants quickly returned the staff-blade to its previous position on the table in one corner of the room.

"What in the world was that?" the scientist wondered, as she continued the extraction process.

* * *

Naruto focused, and chakra began forming over his palm. Relieved, he formed his orb and proclaimed, "Rasengan."

However, the blonde's triumph was short-lived, as the female in front of him created an orb of her own, which was green in color. "**Wind Style: Rasengan**." She charged at him again.

"How can you do that?" Naruto growled, avoiding her attack and missing his own counter by a wide margin in his anger.

"**I have been your prisoner for the last seventeen years, give or take a few months. I know everything that you can do, including all your NinJutsu and TaiJutsu. Unfortunately for you, the reverse is not true. I am also the reason you cannot perform GenJutsu. On top of all that, I have better focus and chakra control than you do.**"

She lashed out with a kick, and as she hoped, Naruto ducked down to dodge. The fox's female form quickly turned around completely and swung her arm downwards to take off Naruto's head with her wind enhanced Rasengan. Naruto brought out his own Rasengan to intercept her. The fox remembered the time when Kakashi had tested the elemental orb with the regular version, and grinned smugly at her assured victory.

However, at the last moment, the blonde truly did the unexpected. He conjured up a second Rasengan in his other hand and caught her orb between both of his. Although the elemental jutsu would have easily overpowered a single regular Rasengan, two of them together at different frequencies and different angles were enough to destabilize the wind chakra enhanced ball.

The three orbs exploded, but Naruto jumped forward, taking a few cuts from the claws of Naruko for a chance to land a knee to her gut and a strike at her face. The female bounced back with a scowl, but landed on her feet.

"Don't think that I'm some sort of pushover, ya know," Naruto claimed, with more confidence in his voice than in his heart, "I'm the guy who outsmarted both Zabuza and Neji."

"**I'll make a note of that**," the female hissed, and charged forward in a more erratic pattern, zigzagging as she ran towards him. She was faster than before and she circled around him faster than he could see. Naruko slashed twice at his back, and the boy allowed the first attack to hit him, so that it threw him forward enough to reduce the damage of the second attack.

As Naruto turned to face her, he realized something. The attacks he had taken until now had not repaired themselves. He quickly activated the healing jutsu that Tsunade had forced him to learn in case this ever happened.

"You're causing this, aren't you? Just like Kabuto's jutsu had?"

"**Nothing so grandiose**," she shook her head, "**I'm simply withholding my power. After all, it wouldn't do good to heal you when I myself am trying to kill you, ya know**."

'Withholding your power, huh…' Naruto's eyes narrowed, both in annoyance, and in thought.

'She is in Two Tails state right now. Which means she's at least twice as strong and fast as I am. AND I don't have her chakra right now. I need to think of something to even the odds… wait a minute! That's right, I need to 'think'! All right!'

Naruto held his arm out, and the female paused to look at him in amusement. The boy focused his thoughts, and called out again, but this time to create, not to summon. "Kitsune!"

The female began to laugh. But her eyes narrowed as a shadow began to form above her hand, becoming more solid and opaque by the second, until the gleaming staff-blade dropped into his palm.

"**Cute**," Naruko hissed, darting in to strike again. However, this time, Naruto was better off, using he extended reach of his weapon in order to negate her speed. Also, while Naruto hadn't been able to stop her flame-wrapped claws with his bare hands, the heat had no impact on the staff-blade, allowing him to fight with no fear.

"You said this world is mentally created. Since I created Kitsune, I always had a mental projection of it in the first place. So I was easily able to create it here again."

"**I need to be more careful with my taunts**," the red-head said in annoyance, "**A lesson I should have learned a while ago**."

Naruto aimed a downward strike at her, which she caught on her wrist. Although she winced, the bone-breaking sound Naruto had hoped for did not come. He spun back for another slash, but was still slowed down due to his previous injuries, and so the demon was able to jump over his attack, launching a kick at his head.

Naruto leaned back to avoid the kick, but Naruko twisted her body flexibly, as though she expected the reaction from him, and she caught Kitsune's pole. Tightening her grip on it, she pulled hard, and almost succeeded in freeing it from Naruto's grip, when he suddenly sent a sliver of wind chakra into it, manifesting the wind blade.

The demon was forced to let go, lest she be shredded into pieces. As a result, both of them ended up off balance, and they tumbled apart.

Naruto straightened up to find Naruko beaming at him with a wicked smile on her face. "**You know, for a few minutes, I really thought you were going to make this easy for me**," she said, her nails growing into even larger claws. Purple lightning of the Ranshinsho began to mingle along with the fire chakra on her fingers. Naruto looked at her warily.

"**However, it seems that you're going to make this tough enough to be fun, but not enough to be a threat**," she continued, "**Just the way I like it**."

Naruto frowned, as he tightened his grip on Kitsune, and then took the offensive. He lengthened and widened the wind blade further as reached into range, slashing back and forth wildly with a two-handed grip. Naruko laughed at his poor form, but when she blocked his attack, Naruto quickly dropped his pretense of desperation and returned the wind blade back to the normal staff blade, sliding past her defenses. She stopped what would have been a lethal attack at the last moment, closing her claws on the blade of the weapon, and twisting her torso out of the way. However, she took a slight cut to her left side.

With the staff-blade sandwiched between her claws, she kicked out viciously at Naruto's knee repeatedly. The blonde was forced to relinquish his blade, or be crippled. As he released Kitsune, the weapon faded away into nothingness. He limped away backwards, barely able to stand, having held on to the weapon for too long. He started to re-form the weapon, but Naruko gave him no opportunity to do so, charging in again. She slashed out with her left claw, while quickly forming a basic Rasengan in her right hand. The blonde was forced to direct his attention towards keeping her away from him, while he healed the damage done to his leg, so that he could move.

The demon's Rasengan came close enough to his face that Naruto's cheeks reddened due to the air currents. Then her claws scored deep cuts into his forearm when he blocked the Rasengan. The Tokujo launched a quick jab at her jaw, but was forced to abandon his counter when Naruko raised the Rasengan into his path.

The demon sighed in disappointment, and swept his legs from under him, sending him plowing into the water on the sewer floor. She partially withdrew her chakra so that her claws would revert into normal fists. She knelt onto his shoulders, pinning his arms, while her tails pinned his legs.

"**Weak**," she punched him in the face.

"**Pathetic**," her second strike bloodied his nose.

"**Insignificant**," her fist cracked his cheekbone.

"**Human**." her last blow dislodged one of his incisors, sending the tooth flying across the sewer.

"**Aww, did that hurt? Don't worry, I'll end it soon**," the female patted the less injured side of Naruto's face mockingly, "**And you know what, I'll even do you another favor; I'll kill Madara for you. After all, I hate him much more than I hate you. Since he is around here somewhere, he will be my first target, before I move on to the Leaf Village**."

'the Leaf Village…' he echoed silently. Then he remembered the fox's threat to hunt down his friends and kill them all.

The fox raised her left hand, once again forming the claws wrapped in fire chakra. Naruto dug his hands into the earth, trying to dislodge her by pushing upwards, but in the two-tails form, her strength was too great, and she smirked at his efforts.

"**Come on, at least give up now. It'll be easier for both of us. If you do, I'll promise to make sure that Ino dies a more…pleasurable death**."

Naruto stopped struggling, but his fingers began to move, as Naruko's fingers pointed at his heart. She savored the moment, before her hand began to descend.

"**Goodbye, Naruto.**"

"STONE SPEARS JUTSU!" Naruto roared, completing his disconnected hand signs. Naruko's eyes widened, and she sprang away as giant spears rose out of the ground towards her. However, she was not able to completely dodge them, as one of the spears took off her right hand from the wrist down, and the other impaled her on the leg. Her wounds were already regenerating as she landed on her feet. As the jutsu disappeared, Naruto unsteadily regained his feet.

"**It was Ino, wasn't it? I should've known not to speak about her. But I suppose prolonging the fight a little isn't that bad. After all, you still can't beat me. I am stronger, faster, have more chakra, and heal on my own. You have no Shadow Clones, I can beat your Rasengan with stronger ones, and I won't fall for this trick again. So, what will you do now?**"

Naruto glared at her, but he was helpless, because she was right. The fox had been with him his entire life, and had seen every crazy thing he had ever attempted, not that he could think of any at the moment. Naruko grinned in amusement at his despair, and took a step forward.

'She's like a much better version of me,' Naruto told himself, 'I can't hope to beat her. I can't do it without the fox's power. Wait a minute, the fox's power! That's it!'

He paused, taking a look around him, and then grinned. Naruko stopped, unnerved by the sudden confidence on his face. "**What are you playing at**?" she demanded. Naruto ignored her, and joined his palms together, focusing. Suddenly, he started glowing. Naruko's eyes widened, as she realized what he was up to. However, she was already too late.

Naruto opened his eyes, and the demon growled, seeing the golden yellow eyes, with dark orange slits for pupils, staring back at him. Naruto turned golden in color, with his uniform flickering at the edges, as though he was composed of flames. His uniform extended downwards into a cloak and two golden tails of chakra lashed out from behind him.

"**HOW?!**" Naruko hissed, crouching down to pounce at him. She leapt forward, but this time, Naruto knocked her away effortlessly. She tried to attack again, but the teenager now matched her speed, and he was no longer singed by her burning fingers.

"It's not like I haven't taken your power before, without your will," he reminded the demon, flipping her over his shoulder once more. "However, this time, I didn't need to. You had me on the defensive so much that I didn't notice it at the time. Even without sending me your power, you are flooding it over here to support this counterpart of yours. All I had to do was take the chakra you were so heartily offering." He grinned as Naruko growled.

She launched a series of rapid punches and kicks at his face and chest, but he deflected them all with ease, all the while staring intently into her red eyes. Her anger increased with each blocked strike. She pushed her right hand forward at full strength, positioning it for a full power right cross. But as her fist began to move forward, she opened it, hoping to catch him off guard.

"**Wind Style: Rasengan**!" she created the deadly sphere as her arm passed the halfway point. She pushed the orb towards Naruto with all the strength and speed she could muster.

"Wind Style: Rasengan," Naruto created an elemental Rasengan of his own, almost lazily, neutralizing her orb. Then, in his other hand, he created a lightning Rasengan. Naruko's body jerked wildly as the electrified sphere cut its way through her wrist. She sprang back, leaving her hand behind, but already starting to grow a replacement.

'**He has the edge on me now**,' the fox grimaced. '**I could summon more power, but it could trigger the seal. And he might be able to feed off that too. But I still have a few tricks that he doesn't know about. I just have to get him off balance and finish him quickly**."

But her thoughts cost her, as unlike the demon, Naruto wasn't one to toy with his opponents. And he knew that there was no point in offering Naruko a chance to surrender. He charged in and she noticed him just in time to catch his punch with both of her forearms. The female felt her wrist bones crack, and she was pushed back by the force of the blow. She barely avoided the snap kick that Naruto launched at her. But as she did, she was also signing.

"**Fire Style: Burning Kunai**!"

A dozen kunai of fire launched towards Naruto. As the blonde dealt with the constructs, she continued to craft hand seals for a more powerful technique.

"**Double Arts: Magma River Jutsu**!" the red-head yelped as she hopped back. Fire and earth chakra combined, changing the ground into a stream of superheated liquid rock, quickly flowing towards the teen. Naruto jumped onto the wall, but the female directed her right hand towards him, and the river of lava spread in his direction. The boy continued to dodge the demon's attack, but she was pushing him towards the cage, with no safe place to escape from.

"**How do you like one of my ultimate techniques**?" she mocked. Naruto's back was pressed against the cage, and the molten lava was quickly flowing towards him. He could feel the heat, and knew that if this were happening in real life, he would be having trouble breathing.

"**Goodbye**!" Naruko waved with her left hand as she directed the magma to surge over him with her right. Naruto jumped straight up at the last moment and she laughed. Until he raised his right hand above his head, and a sphere of silver chakra began to form over it. The orb continued to grow and then flattened out into a disc.

"**NO!**" Naruko screamed, even as Naruto hurtled towards her.

"WIND STYLE: RASENSHURIKEN!" Naruto roared as he threw the wind enhanced ultimate technique at the red-head. By the time she ended her jutsu and was able to try to dodge, it was too late. The jutsu engulfed Naruko, shredding her mental body at the atomic level.

"**How**?" she croaked, as her limbs began to break apart, the energy needed to maintain them no longer present.

"It wasn't that hard, ya know," Naruto said gently. "This form of mine unifies our chakra, which is why I can form my ultimate techniques without requiring clones. I have more power and less meddling from you. On top of that, this mental world does not have many of the drawbacks that the real world possesses."

Naruto landed back onto the filthy water, back in his normal form. Once Naruko had been defeated, the fox had stopped broadcasting his power across the psyche. Without free access to the fox's chakra, Naruto was unable to hold on to his transformation. He turned to face the cage with a triumphant grin. However, instead of the giant fox he had always seen in the Fourth's prison, the fox had completely turned into the female version that he had used to fight Naruto, albeit completely clothed this time. The demon faced away from him, ignoring him petulantly.

"Sore loser," Naruto called out, mildly annoyed.

"**You didn't win**," the female version of the fox growled back, "**You are still going to die, and I shall be returned to Madara's control**."

* * *

The entire rescue squad ran towards the fortress, each with a single thought in their mind, 'We have to rescue Naruto.'

Gaara was leading his squad, as was Shikamaru. Kakashi was in the lead of the entire group, with the responsibility of getting his team into the fortress. Itachi's group was a little on edge since they didn't know their leader. However, they all believed in Kakashi's decision and therefore did not raise any voice of concern.

"Kisame," Itachi said quietly, as they ran. The Jinchuuriki looked at him through the mask and the Uchiha continued, "I would prefer if you didn't use Samehada for this mission."

Hoshigaki grinned a toothy smile before realizing that Itachi couldn't see it, and replied, "Oh, don't worry. I don't plan to do so. I can inflict enough damage without it too."

Kiba, who was running behind the two of them frowned slightly. His heightened senses had picked up the conversation. 'Kisame… where have I heard that name before?' He decided not to bring it up at that moment, considering they were facing nothing short of an army.

'This is going to be slightly tougher than usual,' Shikamaru groaned in his mind. 'Why'd Naruto have to go and get captured? This is such a drag. Well, no point in worrying about that now. Naruto would've done the same for any of us. Here goes!'

'Naruto. You never made fun of me, no matter what the others said. You always believed in me and told me that I was going to become a great ninja. You always supported me when I was down in the dumps. Now it is my turn. I will make sure that you return to the village with us, no matter what!' Choji thought, with fire in his eyes.

'Don't worry, Naruto! I will make sure that you are rescued! And when you are, we will spar again to establish the fire of youth that resides within us!' Lee thought as he ran.

'Naruto…you once told me that we should make our own destiny. Prove it right by staying alive until we rescue you. I will not give up on you. Because I owe you everything that I have right now in my life. Hold on a little longer,' Neji spoke to himself as he activated his Byakugan.

Tenten smiled as she ran towards the fortress. 'Don't worry, Naruto! Your friends are coming to help you. You are not alone.'

'Uzumaki Naruto, I will rescue you. Why? Not only because you are a comrade from the Hidden Leaf Village, but also because you are one of my closest friends. You may have not remembered me when we first met after three years, but I have long since forgiven that. Therefore, I shall put everything into this battle, and ensure that we are victorious,' Shino thought, as he adjusted his goggles.

'Naruto-kun, I haven't known you very well,' Hinata thought, 'But Kiba-kun has been your friend since childhood. And if he wishes to rescue you, then I will do the same.'

'You've been a part of Team 7 ever since the beginning. True, I always belittled you and hit you, but I also cared about you. I never wanted you to do anything reckless, but you never listened to me, did you? Nevertheless, you're my teammate, and I'll do anything to get you back. I promise you that, Naruto,' Sakura thought, her face set with determination.

'Naruto... We've been rivals ever since childhood. You always tried to beat me, using your losses as inspiration. I always looked down upon you, basking in the superiority of my clan, until the day you showed me that being part of a clan means nothing. You worked hard and became a better shinobi than I could ever have hoped to be. We even became friends along the way. You made me a better person. And for that, I owe you one. Think of this as my way of getting even. You better not die on me,' Sasuke grinned slightly, as he activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

'Naruto… Be safe. I'm coming for you,' Ino thought as she raced towards the fortress.

Kakashi pulled up his headband as he ran. 'Naruto, you've grown to be a finer student than I could ever have imagined. You have long since surpassed not only me, but Minato sensei as well. However, you never made the mistake I did, thinking that power is everything. You were always happy to be with others, instead of trying to everything by yourself. I never trained you well at the beginning, focusing on Sasuke. But I now understand why Jiraiya-san always insisted on teaching you. You have become a fine ninja, and it is your duty to usher in a new era. That is why, I will do whatever it takes to rescue you.' Kakashi's left eye transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan.

* * *

Naruto sat against the wall of the sewer, tired. For the last hour or at least what felt like an hour, he had been stalking outside the prison that held the Nine Tails, still hyped by the events that had taken place, and riled up by the fox's last statement. He had made out that the Nine Tails was still hiding his true power, and thought that if he just got the power from the demon, he could kick his regeneration up to a level where he could overpower the drugs that were keeping him unconscious. He tried to make his point with the fox, but the demon, in its female form, ignored him throughout the entire discussion. After a long time of talking, Naruto decided to give up and rest.

"**Let me ask you something**," the female form of the fox said. There was a curious tone in her voice, which confused Naruto. He did not deny her, and she continued, "**Suppose you had been captured by someone. You were going to be sealed within them, and they would become your host. But you had a way to kill yourself, and destroy their hideout in the process. What would you do in such a case**?"

Naruto pondered upon that. "That depends on whether the person is good or evil."

"**In this case, let's say that the person is Orochimaru**." Naruto scowled at the name, and said, "Would I kill him as well, if I killed myself?"

"**You don't know. But you would completely ruin all his plans**," she replied.

Naruto again thought about it. He remembered what he had learned about Orochimaru's bodies not lasting more than three years, and said, "Well, if I'm going to be that snake's possession, I won't last more than three years anyway. So, I guess it wouldn't matter either way."

"**And what if that wasn't true? Let's say, for the sake of it, that Orochimaru had upgraded his jutsu. Now you could live your entire lifespan instead of dying in three years**."

"Well, in that case, it would be better to live, wouldn't it?" Naruto said. "After all, I'm pretty sure my friends would try to find a way to save me."

"**Maybe**," the fox agreed, "**But it would be one shot in a million. And in the meantime, that snake would use your body to do anything and everything that you hate. He would destroy everything you hold dear, and make you wish you were dead anyway.**"

Naruto frowned. The demon continued, "**Drilling down to the bedrock of my question, would you prefer to die on your own terms, or live as a slave for someone you hate**?"

"Damn, those are two tough choices," Naruto told her, "You know, as a ninja, we are taught not to fear death on a mission or anything, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't do everything I could to survive. But being captured by an enemy…I mean, that's more like being dead anyway. And seeing how we fought just now, I have no doubt that Orochimaru would find some way to keep my body while killing my mind, so who knows whether I'd live anyway."

The fox ignored the comment on their fight, and stared at the boy, waiting. Naruto scratched his cheek in thought. He finally exhaled and decided, "In such a case, I'd rather die to try to take that snake down, instead of letting him use me."

Naruko smiled slightly, and the boy looked confused. "What?"

"**Nothing. That's the answer I thought you'd give**," she replied, before turning away. Naruto looked at her thoughtfully.

'Hmm, no doubt that Nine Tails was talking about himself. But how could he hurt the Akatsuki's plans by dying? And first of all, how could he die?'

* * *

As the rescue squad reached the base of the fortress, even the ones without Dojutsu were able to see the foot soldiers waiting for them, perfectly in line, not a single one fidgeting. As they neared the army waiting for them, the leader of the forces caught Gaara's eye. A dark expression entered his usually calm face, and he said, "Deal with the soldiers. Deidara is mine."

Everyone nodded. They quickly split into their teams, each heading to their respective areas of combat, led by Shikamaru, Gaara, Kakashi and Itachi.

Gaara rose up into the air, standing atop a cloud of sand. A few of the Akatsuki soldiers decided to try their hand against him, throwing kunai and shuriken at him. He flatly ignored them, and the cloud of sand shifted around him as though it had a mind of its own, absorbing every attack.

The soldiers paid dearly for their distraction, as the rescue squad's opening salvo took out nearly fifty of them in a single strike. The Sand team struck first.

"Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Temari cut into the battalion in front of her.

"Double Puppet Technique: Poison Needles!" Kankuro rained poisoned needles into the air.

"Wind Style: Wind Sword Jutsu!" Baki slashed through the soldiers with his wind swords.

"Secret Art: Absolute Zero Fists!" Every blow of Natsuki turned enemies into blocks of ice that shattered with her next blow.

"Wind Style: Giant Wind Gale!" Matsuri and Maki combined their strength together to form a giant gale of sharpened wind chakra that tore enemies into pieces.

At the same time, the Leaf's squad captained by Shikamaru struck the enemies on the other side of the fortress.

"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!" Neji's palm unleashed a giant strike that tore a hole through the battalion in front of his team.

"Unsealing Technique: Twin Rising Dragons!" Tenten unleashed a barrage of weapons into the enemy lines.

"Ninja Arts: Shadow Possession Jutsu!" The dim moonlight was all that Shikamaru needed to paralyze his opponents.

"Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists!" Hinata charged into the enemy lines, disabling enemies that Shikamaru had captured.

"Secret Technique: Insect Gathering," Shino proclaimed softly. The soldiers opposite him trembled in fear as bugs began to surround the quiet shinobi. He waved his arm and the insects rushed towards the soldiers, forcing them to scatter.

"Fuma Clan Art: Needle Stitching Technique!" Sasame threw her giant needles through the enemies, stitching them all together with her Fuma threads.

Itachi's team rushed into the center of the battlefield, with Kakashi's team waiting for their chance to rush into the fortress. The leader of the Root organization opened their attack.

"Fire Style: Giant Fireball Jutsu!" The size of the fireball was enough for the enemies to soil their pants.

"Water Style: Giant Shark Bomb!" Kisame unleashed one of his most lethal attacks, causing giant water sharks to bite the heads off of three soldiers instantly.

"Water Style: Water Whip Jutsu!" Iruka lashed two water whips in his hands, cutting into enemies with every twirl.

"Inuzuka Transformation: Two Headed Wolf!" Kiba and Akamaru transformed into their combined form and stepped onto a few soldiers who were busy trying to run the opposite way.

"Ninja Arts: Partial Expansion Jutsu!" Choji knocked over a dozen soldiers by simply swiping across with his huge hand.

"The Third Gate: Gate of Life! OPEN!" Lee vanished from in front of his opponents, appearing behind them, knocking their heads together.

Itachi signed again, almost too fast to follow, and intoned, "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" The water from Kisame's jutsu rose up and formed itself into a giant dragon, which rushed over the soldiers, forcing them to either run, or be killed.

Kakashi's team took the chance and rushed through the gap created by Itachi's water dragon. The Copy Ninja looked back at Itachi and gave him a thumbs up. Itachi gave him a two fingered salute in response, before engaging in combat again.

Ino charged towards the fortress, which was closed, a heavy door standing between the team and Naruto.

Ino didn't stop to think. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A clone split off and held her palms out towards Ino's left hand, which was already gathering chakra. The chakra quickly took the form of a giant Rasengan.

Ino charged at the door with her clone, aiming for the center. As the two struck the door, a loud grinding sound emitted from it. Both Inos pressed the attack, pouring more chakra into it, but the door still held.

The Yamanaka let go of the jutsu, turning back to Kakashi sheepishly. "Umm, the door seems to be stronger than I thought."

Kakashi smiled under his mask, "Indeed."

He turned to Sasuke and Sakura. "If you could just…"

The two of them nodded. Ino watched curiously. Sasuke closed his eyes and focused. A purple chakra began to surround him, and he opened his eyes.

"Susano-o!" A purple skeleton extended from his body and a giant hand aimed a punch at the doors. Ino wondered how the physical attack would work when an upgraded Rasengan hadn't. However, as the strike connected, the entire fortress shook with the force.

Ino looked confusedly at Kakashi and said, "The door is still not open. It's dented, sure, but…" Kakashi smiled and pointed.

Ino turned around to see Sakura running full out at the door, her right hand closed into a tight fist, chakra surrounding it. When her fist connected with the dented door, it was blown off of its hinges.

"You see, Ino, Team 7 is known as the Leaf's heaviest combat team for a reason. I believe that reason is now clear," Kakashi said, with a twinkle in his eye.

Ino nodded, just a little nervous at the brute strength that Sasuke and Sakura had exhibited.

The team quickly headed in, everyone except for Kakashi completely forgetting that Nagato was behind them.

* * *

Shizune knocked on the door. There was no answer. The woman frowned slightly and turned the door open. There was no one in the office.

'Where could Lady Tsunade have gone at this time of night? She normally tells me everything. Oh, well.'

The Tokujo turned around and walked out of the room, lines creasing her forehead. 'I wonder how the others are. It's been two days now. Naruto…come back to us safe and sound. Please.'

* * *

Tsunade knocked. A moment later, the door opened, and Katsumi smiled, "Oh, hello, Lady Tsunade! What a surprise!"

The Hokage smiled slightly, trying to hide her anxiety, and said, "I had told Jiraiya to come here to take care of you and Kiyoko. I hope he is around."

"Yes, he is. In fact, he's playing with Kiyoko right now. Come on in."

The two of them went into Kiyoko's bedroom, where they found Kiyoko fast asleep… on top of Jiraiya's head.

Tsunade couldn't help but laugh at the situation. Jiraiya's head was tilted sideways so that the little baby wouldn't fall off, and he was trying hard not to wake her up.

Katsumi hid her smile and picked her daughter up, putting her into her cradle. Jiraiya cracked his neck, "Hoo! Man, staying in that position for so long hurts."

"Couldn't you just have kept her in the cradle yourself?" Tsunade asked.

"You think I didn't try?" the pervert replied. "As soon as I touched her, she'd wake up and start crying. I couldn't even call out to Katsumi for help, or she would've cried even more. So I figured I'd just let her sleep until Mrs. Uchiha here came in to check on her."

Katsumi looked apologetic, "Sorry I didn't come in sooner, Jiraiya-san. I thought you were playing with her, so I just…"

Jiraiya raised his hand to stop her and smiled, "It's nothing, don't worry about it. At least I got to spend some time with a child. God knows I won't have any of my own now."

Tsunade looked at him. He immediately sensed the anxiety in her and said, "You want to take a walk, Tsuna?"

She nodded almost imperceptibly. Katsumi hid another smile and said, "Well, thanks for dropping in, Jiraiya-san. You really helped a lot."

"Anytime, dear," Jiraiya smiled back. Tsunade wished the younger female goodbye and the two Sannin walked back out of the house.

After walking in silence for about ten minutes, Jiraiya noticed that they were headed to one of his favorite haunts, the top of the Hokage Monument.

Once they were there, standing atop their sensei's head, Tsunade turned to him, her eyes unusually watery. "You think he'll be okay?"

"Hey c'mon, give him a little credit, will you! He's gonna be fine. We've got the best ninjas in the world out there to get him back. He'll come back with a giant smile on his face, and you know what he's gonna say when he sees you?" Jiraiya turned to face the village, with a grin on his face.

"What?"

"He'll say 'I scared ya proper, didn't I, Grandma Tsunade!'" Jiraiya laughed.

Despite the situation, Tsunade smiled. Jiraiya half-embraced her. "Don't worry, Tsuna. Naruto will return. And I have a feeling he'll return stronger than ever. It's one of his defining traits. Whatever happens to him, it always makes him stronger than he was before. It even scares me sometimes, how rapidly he progresses."

The female Senju tightened her grip on her comrade, hoping that his words would become true.

* * *

Gaara landed in front of Deidara, a dangerous look in his deep green eyes. He mercilessly killed the three soldiers who tried to attack him from behind, glaring at the bomb artist the entire time.

"I defeated you before," Deidara said, unperturbed, "And, this time I don't have to keep you alive. Hn."

"This time, my village isn't being held hostage," Gaara countered evenly, "And I wonder how much damage you can do in this valley without sacrificing a few of your own soldiers."

"These weaklings? Ha!" Deidara laughed, "I am no longer a part of the Akatsuki, so I could care less about them. Hn."

Gaara frowned. "What do you mean, no longer part of the Akatsuki?"

Deidara grinned, "I mean that I am no longer bound to this organization. I am simply a shinobi for hire. They are paying me to kill you people. Hn."

The Kazekage replied, "Well, in that case, if I pay you more, will you work for me instead?"

"An interesting offer. But I won't. After all, it wouldn't be much fun to kill weaklings like these. You are the real challenge. And I've been looking forward to defeating you again. Hn."

"Well, can't say I didn't try," Gaara said, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Deidara slipped his hands into his clay holders and quickly extended them out towards the Kazekage, intoning, "C1: Hounding Clay!"

The two mouths on his palms opened wide, excreting two large, white misshapen lumps. The masses took the forms of two large wolfhounds, which started walking in circles around the Kazekage.

The few soldiers who were close to the two opponents began to push away slowly, preferring to deal with the Leaf and Sand ninjas rather than staying close to their leader.

Gaara smiled, so slightly that it was almost unnoticeable. He quickly signed, but nothing seemed to happen, so Deidara directed his dogs to attack.

Before the dogs could reach him, though, the dog bombs were torn to pieces, and instead of being hit by two giant explosions, Gaara was covered by hundreds of smaller blasts.

Deidara frowned, wondering whether he had succeeded despite the unexpected destruction of his art. But as the smoke cleared, the Kazekage stood exactly where he had been, completely calm and unperturbed.

"What did you do?" Deidara grimaced. He tried to reign in his anger. Gaara didn't answer, but took a step forward, and as he did, he seemed to shimmer and shift a little. Deidara's expression cleared.

"A GenJutsu, huh? Release!"

However, the disruption in his chakra had no effect in the appearance of the Kazekage, and his next step still flickered. Deidara quickly threw a few clay spiders to test Gaara, and like his dogs, the projectiles were shredded by some invisible force.

"Alright, that's it!" Deidara pulled his hair back, fine tuning his modified left eye to focus on Gaara. As he zoomed in, he noticed an extremely thin cloud of sand, rotating around the redhead at high speed.

"Ah, I see. A new way to shield yourself. Making up for your weakness, are you?" Deidara smirked.

"A jutsu that can be used to attack as well as defend can hardly be called a weakness," Gaara said dismissively, "But, yes, I have used more traditional jutsu to make up for the theft of the One Tails. Both, my sister and my student say that I have worked too hard on it, but in some ways, I am must stronger than I was when you ambushed me."

Deidara snorted, and the Kazekage shrugged, "If you don't like it, however, I can try something else. Wind Style: Stone Grinder Jutsu!"

A stream of wind chakra infused with sand shot out of Gaara's gourd towards the explosive artist. Deidara simply held his left hand forward, and a swarm of clay mosquitoes flew out between the teeth of his extra mouth to intercept. When they came into contact with the sand, they exploded, pushing the sand particles away.

"It would seem that we both have dangerous forms of defense," Gaara noted. He quickly pulled back his sand, forming three sand shurikens. He flung them at Deidara, who sent out three dragonflies to intercept this time.

However, one of the insects missed their target, and the sand shuriken dug deep into Deidara's bicep, before turning back to dust and returning to Gaara.

Deidara was already pondering over his options, almost not noticing the pain coursing through his right arm. He sent out a few clay ladybugs to distract Gaara.

'My C4 won't work against him, his sand will be able to protect him against it. And my C3 will tear up this place too much. I don't care, but I'd rather not face Madara about it. Wait, maybe I can use C3 in a different way.'

He let his hands chew quickly, before proclaiming, "C3: Winter Tiger!"

The white clay that emerged from both his hands came together to form a ten-foot long, shaggy-haired, white tiger. The tiger did not hesitate; it pounced directly onto the cloud of Gaara's defense, setting off a series of explosions along the surface. But as the fur of the tiger was stripped away, the remainder of the tiger pushed through the defense, claiming blood from the Kazekage's chest before self-destructing.

"How do you like my new masterpiece?" Deidara smirked with pride. But as the air became transparent again, instead of the Kazekage's bloody remains, Deidara was treated to the sight of cracked fragments of a hollow sand shell.

The artist's visible eye widened, but before he could act, he felt a presence behind him, and heard Gaara's soft but dark voice, "Explosions are useful to cover for substitutions."

The normally long range shinobi stabbed out with his right hand, sheathed within a sharp blade of sand. Deidara, unable to dodge completely, flipped forward, earning a gash to his back. He kicked out with his feet, and Gaara stepped back to avoid him.

The little move was enough to give Deidara back the time to pull off his next move. He brought his hands around to face Gaara, "C2: Falling Petals!"

The artist unleashed a torrential downpour of cherry blossom petals, which danced around Gaara in the night breeze. However, the sand shield of the Kazekage was enough to absorb the blasts.

"How much longer do you think you will last?" Gaara said, with a hint of anger in his voice. "That injury I inflicted is quite serious. And to be honest, this environment is not friendly to you. There is no wet earth for you to take in, so once you finish what you have, your exploding clay techniques will be more than useless. And when that happens…you will die."

The blonde renegade suddenly froze, realizing how precarious his situation was. Gaara's words made him realize it; he had not been trading off his ammunition for Gaara's; but between his dogs, insects and cherry blossoms, he had already used up over two-thirds of his clay.

Suddenly, Deidara laughed madly. "You really think you can kill me?" he roared. "Think again. If I must die today, then there's no reason for me to hold back."

The artist pulled off his cloak and ripped off his shirt, revealing the grotesque mouth on his chest. He held both his hands in front of it, and the mouths on his hands began regurgitating the clay they had into the fourth mouth. Deidara's skin began to blacken. As the mouth began to chew rapidly, Deidara turned transparent, and Gaara could see every vein in his body, black in color instead of red.

"Everyone says an artist is never valued in his life," Deidara said proudly, "However, you will bear witness to my masterpiece. Although, I suppose 'witness' is the wrong word, since you won't live to tell the tale. Perhaps participant would be a better word. Either way… C0: Kyukyoku Geijutsu!"

Deidara's body began to contort and bloat. His mouth formed a grin through the intense pain as his body began to get ready for a ten kilometer radius explosion.

Gaara signed as fast as possible, and extended his hands towards Deidara. "Lightning Style: Lightning Trap!"

Deidara had begun to glow, and was about to explode. All of a sudden, his glow began to dim, and lightning surged up from the ground around him, trapping him within.

"What are you doing?!" the former Akatsuki agent shouted in dismay.

Gaara pursed his lips at the question. "I negated your earth chakra attack using lightning chakra. It is a fairly common tactic."

Suddenly, Deidara began to glow again. Gaara frowned. 'It seems like he's putting every bit of chakra he has into the jutsu.'

Before Gaara could do anything, however, Natsuki entered the area and signed quickly, "Lightning Style: Power Drain." The kunoichi began to pull Gaara's electricity throughout every chakra point of Deidara, causing an effect similar to the Gentle Fist, albeit much more powerful and painful.

Deidara's body deflated, and he slowly dropped to the ground, panting as his jutsu was neutralized.

"Damn you, you critics…" he vocalized, "Never…appreciate…true…talent."

His chakra completely spent, Deidara's body began to crumble into the very clay he used. Gaara and Natsuki waited to make sure he was completely gone, and the leader of the Sand looked around towards his allies. They were easily winning; the soldiers were like playthings for these shinobi.

Gaara sighed and entered the fray once again, his revenge complete.

* * *

Naruto sensed a chakra disturbance behind him and turned around to face the prison. The fox had let go of its female form, transforming back into its demon spirit form.

"What now? Have you decided to help me? Or are you going to attack me again?" Naruto said, still a little wary.

"**Unfortunately, I don't think that it will work**," the demon answered, "**Because I haven't figured out a way to prevent you from stealing my chakra**."

"So what, you're just memorizing my face before you get pulled out of my body and into that statue forever?" the boy said, with more sarcasm in his voice than his heart.

"**I hate you**," the fox said, after a moment's pause. "**I detest your very species. You people should grovel at our feet, tremble with fear at our very presence. Instead, you imprison us in objects, and in your own weak bodies. Your race spreads around the world like a virus**.** If I had my way, I would tear you limb from limb, and eat your organs one by one, till you were begging for death. And once you were close enough, I would let you regenerate so that I could keep doing it over and over again**."

"And?" Naruto tried not to sound nervous.

"**Despite that, I don't completely hate you**," the demon admitted. Naruto wondered what the fox would have said if it, in fact, had completely hated him.

"**You have provided me with a few interesting experiences, some thoughtful insights and more than a little amusement**," the fox told him. "**Not that it would be saying much, but you are the best of the three Jinchuuriki that I have been confined within**."

Naruto rubbed his eyes; was the fox getting smaller in size?

"**There have been times when I felt that we almost understood each other**."

"Is there a point to this?" Naruto said, uncertain about what was happening.

The fox looked annoyed but continued, "**The point is, that right now I have to choose between you and Madara Uchiha.**"

He bared his teeth, "**Madara Uchiha, the man who I hate most in this world, the only human I despise completely. And then there's you, the helpless kid who kept me trapped for more than sixteen years**."

"And? You're siding with me, right? So you'll help me?" Naruto said, almost not believing it.

"**Shut up and listen, moron!**" the fox shouted, before gaining control over his emotions. "**The way things are now, you would not be able to escape even if I sent you all my power. The jutsu they are using to drill through the seal is changing the way our powers mix. And since your body is sedated, you cannot access it, which is why you won't even be able to use my complete power**."

Naruto noticed it again; the fox was definitely smaller. It was closer to the size of Kiba's Two Headed Wolf transformation.

The blonde hung his head slightly, "I guess you don't have a choice, after all."

"**Well, there is one way**," the fox informed Naruto. The Tokujo's eyes shot up in hope.

"**There is one way to ruin the Akatsuki's plans and thwart Madara's ambition for at least twenty years**."

Naruto suddenly realized that he could see the fox shrinking in front of him as it spoke, until it was barely as large as he was. At the same time, he realized that he could feel the jutsu drilling through his seal, and the drugs coursing through his blood, keeping him sedated. For the first time since he had been drugged, he felt truly clearheaded.

Then he realized that the fox was standing right in front of him, passing clean through the bars that separated them. Naruto took a step back in fear, as the fox walked towards him, its nine tails twitching.

"**I will return, mark my words. And then, I will have my revenge. Until then, it is up to you to stop Madara**."

"Wh…what are you talking about?" Naruto stepped backwards again.

"**You will realize in time. Goodbye, Naruto. And by the way, my name… is Kurama**."

The fox began glowing, and pounced at Naruto, who crossed his arms in front of his chest to block what he expected to be an attack. However, instead of colliding with the boy, the demon became a shimmering illusion that passed right through him.

Naruto suddenly felt a warmth inside him, coursing through his body, even as he turned around to look for the demon. However, the fox was gone, and as Naruto watched, the sewer faded away too, leaving the boy standing in an empty silvery dimension of nothingness.

Naruto suddenly gasped as the warmth in his chest grew, spreading throughout the rest of his body like a warm ray of sunshine. He felt like he was in his two-tails state in terms of strength, speed and physical energy, except that his body was not succumbing to the negative effects that usually accompanied it, nor was he filled with the fox's usual hatred and aggression. On top of that, he could almost feel the chakra inside his body, and it was much more than he had ever possessed before.

Naruto wanted to call out; ask the demon what was going on, but a small part inside him told him that the fox was gone. The idea that he had given up his existence to escape Madara both angered and saddened Naruto.

"Kurama…" he said to himself, "I promise you this; I will kill Madara Uchiha."

He took a deep breath and turned his attention outwards.

* * *

"Um, ma'am…" one of the assistants called out to the scientist who was in charge of the extraction. The Akatsuki's expert on chakra and jutsu was taking a break, and she raised her head to look grumpily at her underling.

"What is it now?" She could never have anticipated the answer in a thousand years.

"The seal has vanished…"


End file.
